Paleolithic Faunas of the Zagros Mountains: Zooarchaeological and Taphonomic Analysis

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With National Science Foundation support Dr. Curtis Marean and colleagues will analyze faunal remains recovered from archaeological sites in the Zagros Mountains of Iran and Iraq. From the early 1950s until political difficulties in the 1970s made fieldwork impossible, American archaeologists excavated a number of cave and rock shelter sites in this region. In addition to material which shed light on the origins of agriculture, extensive Middle Paleolithic material was recovered. Generally attributed to Neanderthal people and dated between ca. 40,000 and 200,000 years ago, it documents the culture of the inhabitants of Europe and Western Asia prior to the appearance of anatomically modern humans. While archaeologists have examined the stone tools from many of these sites, the associated fauna is almost completely unstudied. Much of it is stored in museums within the United States and Dr. Marean and colleagues will conduct a systematic analysis of these materials. The project has several goals. Most of the faunal remains were introduced into the sites by humans as food and therefore reflect the range of species eaten. Through analysis of the body parts represented and the cut marks they contain, it will also be possible to determine the methods by which prey were obtained. Some archaeologists believe that Neanderthal peoples were fully competent hunters while others argue that they obtained meat from large animals primarily through scavenging. Dr. Marean's previous work has demonstrated that to address such questions it is necessary to examine not only complete bones and large easily identifiable fragments but also smaller pieces which archaeologists usually ignore. He has developed a methodology to accomplish this goal. Finally, through an intersite comparison it will be possible to examine the issue of behavioral variability. Preliminary evidence has surprisingly indicated relatively little stereotypic behavior but a different mix of species at sites which are environmentally similar. Archaeologists have focused attention on the Neanderthal peoples of Europe because they are the immediate predecessors of anatomically modern humans. While they share many traits, both behavioral and biological, with modern humans, archaeological data exhibit patterns (observed but not understood) which are clearly distinct. Through analysis of these `near relatives` it is possible to examine modern human adaptations in a broader comparative context. This research will provide data of interest to many prehistorians. It will also assist in graduate student training.