Butchering Patterns and Technology in a Chalcolithic Settlement: Analysis of the Butchered Fauna from Shiqmim, Israel

Greenfield, Haskel J.; Beller, Jeremy A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-27330-8_5

Cited by 1 publication

(4 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…These results are consistent with previous works performed by other authors (Greenfield, 1999(Greenfield, , 2000(Greenfield, , 2006Greenfield & Brown, 2016;Okaluk & Greenfield, 2022), which have not identified the presence of slice marks produced with metal tools in Chalcolithic contexts but in later periods of the Iron and Bronze Age. Therefore, we believe that the generation of proper referential models for each case and the application of the techniques used here could be useful for further studies on Chalcolithic or Bronze Age sites to assess the use and functionality of metal tools in contexts where either metallurgy is scarce or poorly preserved, limiting the application of methods such as traceology, or where metal artefacts appear both in symbolicbearing and domestic areas.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…The present study adds to the work performed by other authors on the evaluation of the origins of metallurgy through the analysis of bone surface modifications, particularly of slice (Greenfield, 1999(Greenfield, , 2000(Greenfield, , 2006(Greenfield, , 2013(Greenfield, , 2021Greenfield & Brown, 2016;Greenfield et al, 2018 and chop marks (Okaluk & Greenfield, 2022). The use of metal tools in domestic contexts in the initial periods of the Chalcolithic is not very well known yet.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Only some evidence suggests the incorporation of metal tools in domestic areas in more recent periods, for example, the Bell-Beaker culture (Nuñez Moro et al, 2019). To date, no slicing marks have been observed in pre-Bronze Age contexts (Greenfield, 1999(Greenfield, , 2000(Greenfield, , 2006(Greenfield, , 2013(Greenfield, , 2021Greenfield & Brown, 2016;Greenfield et al, 2018; however, this does not exclude the possibility of finding metal-inflicted butchering marks in the Chalcolithic-Iron Age record. Therefore, we believe that it is convenient to carry out analyses such as the one presented here in order to determine the raw material used to generate the slice marks observed in pre-Bronze sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In this line of work, some authors have managed to identify the use of metal tools through the analysis of slice marks from different sites ranging from the Bronze to the Iron Age (Greenfield, 1999(Greenfield, , 2000(Greenfield, , 2006Greenfield & Brown, 2016;Greenfield et al, 2018Liesau, 1998Liesau, , 2002Okaluk & Greenfield, 2022;Yravedra et al, 2009). Moreover, Greenfield (1999Greenfield ( , 2000Greenfield ( , 2013 was able to verify through microscopic butchering mark analysis the progressive incorporation of metal slicing tools into domestic activity areas (e.g., animal carcass exploitation) over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New virtual approach to the study of metallurgy through the analysis of slice marks from the Chalcolithic site of Zanjillas (Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain)

Aramendi,

Estaca‐Gómez,

Maté‐González

et al. 2023

Archaeometry

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Although the discovery of metal objects is not common in Chalcolithic or Bronze Age sites, the study of bone surface microscopic grooves from animal butchering can yield evidence of the use of metal artefacts in these contexts. Additionally, the presence of slice marks made with metal objects in Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites has highlighted the use of metal in common practices beyond their ornamental application, as usually expected at the early stages of metallurgy. Here, we present the study of the slice marks found at the Chalcolithic site of Zanjillas, using geometric morphometrics and machine learning algorithms, with the aim of identifying the nature of the tools used for carcass processing at the site. For this purpose, we replicate previous analyses considering slice marks produced with lint flakes and metal tools to generate a referential framework that serves as comparative to the Zanjillas sample. Our results suggest that most of the domestic activities related to carcass skinning, defleshing, or evisceration in Zanjillas were still performed with flint artefacts.

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