Who ate the birds: the taphonomy of Sarakenos Cave, Greece

Abstract

The taphonomic analysis of avian remains from Sarakenos Cave reveals that, contrary to previous suggestions, many bird bones excavated there represent food remains of the Eagle Owls rather than humans. The conclusion is based on the presence of traces of digestion, beak and claw punctures, and indirect evidence that includes relative preservation of particular elements, species composition, the lack of cut marks, and the absence of numerous traces of burning. Specimens with medullary bone and traces of digestion indicate that the owls killed breeding females in spring. Since it is unlikely that owls shared the cave with humans at the same time, it supports the notion based on archeological evidence that human groups did not inhabit it permanently.

Ritual stone‐built architecture and shell midden foundation: A semisubterranean structure in hyperarid Atacama Desert coast, Northern Chile

“…Taphonomic analysis of individual shells considers abrasion, chemical dissolution, biodegradation, and thermal alteration (Claassen, 1998; Gutiérrez Zugasti, 2008–2009; Hammond, 2014). Taphonomic alterations for bone remains consider anthropic damage and nonanthropic damage (Bochenski et al, 2018; Fernandez‐Jalvo & Andrews, 2016; Johnson et al, 2016; Lyman, 1994a; Rick et al, 2006; Pokines & Symes, 2013). Density mediated attrition (Bar‐Oz & Munro, 2004) is measured by potential correlation of bone mineral density (BMD) (Borella et al, 2007; Elkin, 1995), through Spearman's ρ with observed %MAU (minimal animal unit) (Lyman et al, 1992).…”

Ancient cattle genomics, origins, and rapid turnover in the Fertile Crescent

“…Among the finds (e.g. pottery, lithics, figurines) were numerous ovis, capra, bos taurus, small mustelid, rodent and avian bones(91)(92)(93). The single bovine petrous bone used in this study has been recovered from trench F (layer 22, square 46) that is dated to c. 5750-5600 BC.…”

Small game hunting in montane rainforests: Specialised capture and broad spectrum foraging in the Late Pleistocene to Holocene New Guinea Highlands

“…Another group, the Macruromys, were common in this early level but are now very rare in the Highlands and absent from Mt Elimbari (see Table S3 for a comparison between present day fauna on Mt Elimbari and those present at Kiowa). Importantly, the small rats in this deposit also exhibit etching consistent with digestion and undoubtably derive from predator pellets, either a raptor (see Bochenski et al, 2018;Hawkins et al, 2018Hawkins et al, , 2019, or a quoll (see Miscamble and Manne, 2016). Birds of prey in the area are able to take down animals up to around 1 kg when they are on the ground, the size of small possums such as Pseudochirulus forbesi (Dwyer, 1983).…”