THE BUTCHERED ANIMAL BONES FROM NEWE YAM
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ASSEMBLAGE DESCRIPTION A detailed description of the damage evident on each of the bones studied in this sample is presented in Appendix A.
Sample Size Cut and/or chop marks from butchering activities were found on a total of 32 animal bones and bone fragments. This is a very small fraction of the total animal bone sample; 5.1% of the total NISP of the site (NISP = 618) and 6.5% of the identified portion of the sample (NISP= 491). Only one bone with cut marks could not be identified to species (only to genus). Based upon size and age, there was no evidence that any of the bones with butchering marks were articulated with each other or came from the same individual. Indeed, no articulated bones were present in the butchered sample. A few specimens identified by LKH could not be relocated by HJG. However, they were included in some of the results discussed here since they add to the collection in interesting ways. Unfortunately, their analysis is not fully comparable with the other material described in this reprt.
Taxon Representation Butchery damage was observed on the complete range of taxa identified at the site (Table 2). For the most part, they were domestic animal (90.3%), with only one wild species (gazelle) definitely identified and two tentatively identified as wild taxa – aurochs and boar. It was often difficult to distinguish between wild and domestic forms of the same taxa from isolated bones, even when pieces could be measured. Based on metrical parameters and robusticity, Horwitz et al. (this volume) determined that the vast majority of the cattle at the site were Bos taurus. HJG identified one bone in the cut-marked sample as Bos primigenius based on size differences and development of muscle attachment areas (specimen #30/939/144,148). Since most of the pig remains were immature, LKH was cautious in identifying them as wild or domestic. Both authors nonetheless agree that both domestic and wild forms are present. HJG identified only one certain wild pig based on size and muscle attachment differences with comparison to the other specimens (specimen #30/93-9/145). All of the domestic specimens appeared to fall within the size range of domestics, havingd thinner bone walls or smaller muscle attachment areas than found typically in wild specimens. The quantity of bones with butchering marks in each taxon follows their relative importance in the site. As such, there is no evidence to support selection of a particular species for specialized butchery. Among the cut-marked remains that were identified to a specific wild or domestic taxon, the most common species was Bos taurus (45.2%). Initially, it would appear that domestic pigs are the next most common taxon (19.3%). However,