Morphology of Cut Marks as Evidence of Meat Processing Strategies in the Paleolithic Era

Abstract

A significant number of studies have been devoted to analyzing cut mark variability depending on the type of tool used to make them, its angle, the raw material, the size of the animal, and the type of bone. However, little is currently known about the relationship between the shape and size of cut marks and the condition of the bone. Nevertheless, proving this connection leads to reconstructing ancient humans' food preparation methods and, consequently, their subsistence strategies. This study discusses the morphometric characteristics of cut marks that allow for interpreting the butchering process of prey in different states by ancient populations: fresh/raw, cooked, or dry (as carrion). For the experiment, fragments of a domestic cow's scapula were used in raw, cooked, and dry states, on which cuts were made using different types of stone tools. The results provide the first experimental evidence confirming the significant role of bone and meat tissue condition in the formation of butchery marks. Morphometric differences in cut marks on bones in different states are more pronounced when using an unretouched flake rather than retouched tools. Cut marks on cooked and fresh/dry bones may be difficult to distinguish when retouched tools are used. Metric and two-dimensional geometric-morphometric analyses successfully complemented each other, proving highly effective for studying anthropogenic bone modifications.