Explaining variability in mutilated human bone assemblages from the American Southwest: a case study from the southern piedmont of Sleeping Ute Mountain, Colorado

Abstract

Many scholars interpret assemblages of disarticulated human remains from Anasazi sites as evidence of cannibalism. Other scholars argue that variation in the condition of these assemblages implies that many, if not all, resulted from non‐cannibalistic practices. This paper evaluates four well‐documented cases of mutilated human bones from a dispersed community on the southern piedmont of Ute Mountain, Colorado. Evidence indicates that all four sites were suddenly abandoned around ad 1150, after events responsible for corpse mutilation took place. Still, variations in processing methods were observed between the sites and between two sets of remains at one site. The authors suggest that these, and similar assemblages in the Mesa Verde region, resulted from violent raiding involving cannibalism, and that minor processing variations are consistent with the expediency inherent in such attacks. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cannibalism, Warfare, and Drought in the Mesa Verde Region during the Twelfth Century A.D.

“…Notably, no canine puncture marks or other signs of carnivore involvement were observed in these remains, despite the presence of such damage on human remains from other sites in Cowboy Wash (Lambert 1999). In other words, carnivores were around and scavenged human corpses when they could, but they obviously did not have access to the bodies (at least, while fleshed) in this case.…”

“…In contrast to pithouse Features 3 and 13, only two fragments of human bone were recovered from pithouse Feature 15. Five other individuals-two adults and three young children-were recovered from inhumations located in the middens (Lambert 1999;Leonard et al 2000).…”

“…Further, all three youths from the two pithouses were relatively complete upon reconstruction, and no extra subadult elements were apparent in either pithouse collection. Differences in the distribution, breakage patterns, and the degree of burning also suggest that the remains were treated differently (Lambert et al 1999).…”

“…Finally, regional analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of similar assemblages is required to understand the historical development of the phenomenon. Both fine-grained studies of individual assemblages and reviews of their regional occurrence have been conducted (see for example Dice 1993aDice , 1993bErrickson 1993;Lambert 1999;Leonard et al 2000; Minturn 1994; Turner 1983Turner , 1989Turner ,1993Turner and Turner 1995;White 1992). However, information on the local social context of these finds has been lacking, even though such data are essential for bridging the gap between site-specific and regional scales.…”

Rib lesions in a prehistoric Puebloan sample from southwestern Colorado

“…Half of these, 3 adults and 3 subadults, were from assemblages of dismembered and otherwise mutilated skeletal remains discovered in two pithouses at 5MT10010 (Fig. 3) (Lambert, 1999;Billman et al, 1999;Lambert et al, 2000). Human cannibalism was recently verified at this small 12th century village through the identification of human muscle proteins in a human coprolite (J.…”