A Case of Historic Cannibalism in the American West: Implications for Southwestern Archaeology

Abstract

Discoveries of concentrated deposits of fragmentary human bone and their interpretation as evidence of cannibalism in the pre-Hispanic American Southwest have engaged archaeologists in a continuing debate. Forensic study of the victims in the historic Alferd [sic] Packer case from southern Colorado in the 1870s contributes to this discussion by providing detailed data regarding perimortem trauma, cut marks, and butchering patterns in a well-accepted case of mass murder and survival cannibalism. In particular, postmortem cut marks record a butchering strategy focused on filleting muscle tissue for immediate consumption; patterning of cut marks was structured by anatomy and also by cultural values. Contrasts between this historic case and the archaeological assemblages highlights the need for a more nuanced discussion of the cultural context and meaning of the archaeological cases. Interpretations of human skeletal remains arguably must begin with the view of “the body as artifact” and from a theoretical perspective defined largely by osteology and in comparison with zooarchaeological assemblages under various ecological conditions. At this point, however, the debate regarding Anasazi cannibalism would benefit from the addition of other anthropological perspectives, particularly those concerning the human body as a vehicle for the expression of cultural ideas and values.

Endemic violence in a pre‐Hispanic Andean community: A bioarchaeological study of cranial trauma from the Majes Valley, Peru

“…Combat norms may have dictated that the eyes were targeted in battle. Finally, the multiple perimortem (overkill) injuries on the posterior and inferior crania of two elite males might suggest these killings were personally or ideologically motivated—the assailants used far more force than what was necessary to dispatch the victims (Kjellström, ; Rautman & Fenton, ).…”

“Men, Women, and Children Starving”: Archaeology of the Donner Family Camp

“…Like the Packer site, the Donner Family camp, is a "known" case of starvation cannibalism. Yet if, as Rautman and Fenton (2005) argue, cannibalism involves a continuum of actions, the Alder Creek site has taught us that we must expand our analysis beyond merely processing and consuming the human body. Other animals must also be taken into account, so that we might consider the full spectrum of opportunities and avoidances.…”

Perimortem mutilation of human remains in an early village in the American Southwest: A case for ethnic violence

“…Rautman and Fenton (2005) note, for instance, that few or no cut marks were seen on the small bones of the hands and feet or on the crania of the Packer victims. Cut marks were instead concentrated on areas of the body containing large meat packages, such as the distal and proximal ends of long bones and on axial elements such as ribs and pelves.…”

“…Unlike warfare, historic examples of starvation cannibalism mostly involved a limited number of victims at one time (Rautman and Fenton, 2005;Tuzin, 1983) (Table 1). The well-known historic Alferd Packer case of murder and short-term survival cannibalism involved only five victims, for example (Rautman and Fenton 2005).…”

“…Unlike warfare, historic examples of starvation cannibalism mostly involved a limited number of victims at one time (Rautman and Fenton, 2005;Tuzin, 1983) (Table 1). The well-known historic Alferd Packer case of murder and short-term survival cannibalism involved only five victims, for example (Rautman and Fenton 2005). And while the Donner Party tragedy involved the cannibalization of 21 individuals in total, these may be thought of as a series of discrete incidents involving a handful of individuals at a time and occurring in six separate locations-Alder Creek (n = 5), Camp of Death (n = 4), Sierra foothills (n = 3), Murphy Cabin (n = 2), Breen Cabin (n = 4), and Starved Camp (n = 3)-over a number of months (Dixon et al, 2010;Grayson, 1990;Hardesty, 1997).…”