Fat Content in Leg Bones ofBison bison, and Applications to Archaeology

What Explains the Carcass Field Processing and Transport Decisions of Contemporary Hunter-Gatherers? Measures of Economic Anatomy and Zooarchaeological Skeletal Part Representation

“…The concept of utility, as measured by the amount of meat, marrow, and grease associated with different skeletal elements, continues to inform zooarchaeological analyses through simplified derivations of utility (Friesen, 2001;Metcalfe and Jones, 1988) and the development utility indices for a variety of different animals (Belardi and Gómez Otero, 1998;Blumenschine and Caro, 1986;Borrero, 1990;Brink, 1997;Chase, 1985;Diab, 1998;Emerson, 1990Emerson, , 1993Friesen, 2001;Lyman et al, 1992;Madrigal and Holt, 2002;Metcalfe and Jones, 1988;O'Connell and Marshall, 1989;Outram and Rowley-Conwy, 1998;. But despite its early promise, a number of scholars recognize significant problems applying utility-based analyses to archaeological skeletal part profiles (Bartram, 1993;Grayson, 1989;Grayson and Cannon, 1999;Lyman, 1985).…”

Comparing Levels of Subsistence Stress amongst Norse Settlers in Iceland and Greenland using Levels of Bone Fat Exploitation as an Indicator

“…By mass, both would be suitably equal. Brink (1997), in his study of bison, concluded that dry bone mass was an accurate predictoi of elements' bone grease utility.…”

A bone grease processing station at the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village: Archaeological evidence for the exploitation of bone fats

“…Appendicular cancellous bone contains high quality bone grease, while axial cancellous bone contains lower quality bone fats (Binford 1978;Brink 1997;Emerson 1990;Karr et al 2010;Lyman 1994;Outram 1998Outram , 2001Rixon 2000;Speth and Spielmann 1983;Wilson 1924:174). The diaphyses of long bones contain high-quality marrow within the medullary cavity, while element types such as ribs, vertebral spines, pelves, and vertebrae contain smaller quantities of lower quality fats (Binford 1978;Brink 1997;Emerson 1990;Karr et al 2010;Lyman 1994;Outram 1998Outram , 2001Rixon 2000;Speth and Spielmann 1983). Whole bones were not exploited for bone fats, while partial bones (complete epiphyses) represent an unexploited source of bone grease.…”

“…The exploitation of bone fats played a significant role in the nutritional subsistence of prehistoric human groups on the North American Plains (Brink 1997(Brink , 2008Karr et al 2008Karr et al , 2010Leechman 1951;Vehik 1977). Both ethnographic and archaeological evidence demonstrate the significance of bone fats to a variety of human groups, not only on the North American Plains, but also around the world (Binford 1978;Blumenschine and Madrigal 1993;Jones and Metcalf 1988;Marshall and Pilgram 1991;Munro and Bar-Oz 2005;Outram 1998Outram , 2001and many others) In prehistory, fat was highly valued for its exceptional nutritional attributes.…”