Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene.
Social learning, as an information acquisition process, enables intergenerational transmission and the stabilisation of cultural forms, generating and sustaining behavioural traditions within human groups. Archaeologically, such social processes might become observable by identifying repetitions in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3577810?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818043689295937536 |
|---|---|
| author | Ruth Blasco Jordi Rosell Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo Sergi Lozano Ignasi Pastó David Riba Manuel Vaquero Josep Fernández Peris Juan Luis Arsuaga José María Bermúdez de Castro Eudald Carbonell |
| author_facet | Ruth Blasco Jordi Rosell Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo Sergi Lozano Ignasi Pastó David Riba Manuel Vaquero Josep Fernández Peris Juan Luis Arsuaga José María Bermúdez de Castro Eudald Carbonell |
| author_sort | Ruth Blasco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Social learning, as an information acquisition process, enables intergenerational transmission and the stabilisation of cultural forms, generating and sustaining behavioural traditions within human groups. Archaeologically, such social processes might become observable by identifying repetitions in the record that result from the execution of standardised actions. From a zooarchaeological perspective, the processing and consumption of carcasses may be used to identify these types of phenomena at the sites. To investigate this idea, several faunal assemblages from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain, MIS 9-5e) and Gran Dolina TD10-1 (Burgos, Spain, MIS 9) were analysed. The data show that some butchery activities exhibit variability as a result of multiple conditioning factors and, therefore, the identification of cultural patterns through the resulting cut-marks presents additional difficulties. However, other activities, such as marrow removal by means of intentional breakage, seem to reflect standardised actions unrelated to the physical characteristics of the bones. The statistical tests we applied show no correlation between the less dense areas of the bones and the location of impacts. Comparison of our experimental series with the archaeological samples indicates a counter-intuitive selection of the preferred locus of impact, especially marked in the case of Bolomor IV. This fact supports the view that bone breakage was executed counter-intuitively and repetitively on specific sections because it may have been part of an acquired behavioural repertoire. These reiterations differ between levels and sites, suggesting the possible existence of cultural identities or behavioural predispositions dependant on groups. On this basis, the study of patterns could significantly contribute to the identification of occupational strategies and organisation of the hominids in a territory. In this study, we use faunal data in identifying the mechanics of intergenerational information transmission within Middle Pleistocene human communities and provide new ideas for the investigation of occupational dynamics from a zooarchaeological approach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T09:06:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45aee8811c1d4d0f8bf0351fc918676d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T09:06:12Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-45aee8811c1d4d0f8bf0351fc918676d2022-12-22T01:55:08ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0182e5586310.1371/journal.pone.0055863Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene.Ruth BlascoJordi RosellManuel Domínguez-RodrigoSergi LozanoIgnasi PastóDavid RibaManuel VaqueroJosep Fernández PerisJuan Luis ArsuagaJosé María Bermúdez de CastroEudald CarbonellSocial learning, as an information acquisition process, enables intergenerational transmission and the stabilisation of cultural forms, generating and sustaining behavioural traditions within human groups. Archaeologically, such social processes might become observable by identifying repetitions in the record that result from the execution of standardised actions. From a zooarchaeological perspective, the processing and consumption of carcasses may be used to identify these types of phenomena at the sites. To investigate this idea, several faunal assemblages from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain, MIS 9-5e) and Gran Dolina TD10-1 (Burgos, Spain, MIS 9) were analysed. The data show that some butchery activities exhibit variability as a result of multiple conditioning factors and, therefore, the identification of cultural patterns through the resulting cut-marks presents additional difficulties. However, other activities, such as marrow removal by means of intentional breakage, seem to reflect standardised actions unrelated to the physical characteristics of the bones. The statistical tests we applied show no correlation between the less dense areas of the bones and the location of impacts. Comparison of our experimental series with the archaeological samples indicates a counter-intuitive selection of the preferred locus of impact, especially marked in the case of Bolomor IV. This fact supports the view that bone breakage was executed counter-intuitively and repetitively on specific sections because it may have been part of an acquired behavioural repertoire. These reiterations differ between levels and sites, suggesting the possible existence of cultural identities or behavioural predispositions dependant on groups. On this basis, the study of patterns could significantly contribute to the identification of occupational strategies and organisation of the hominids in a territory. In this study, we use faunal data in identifying the mechanics of intergenerational information transmission within Middle Pleistocene human communities and provide new ideas for the investigation of occupational dynamics from a zooarchaeological approach.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3577810?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Ruth Blasco Jordi Rosell Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo Sergi Lozano Ignasi Pastó David Riba Manuel Vaquero Josep Fernández Peris Juan Luis Arsuaga José María Bermúdez de Castro Eudald Carbonell Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene. PLoS ONE |
| title | Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene. |
| title_full | Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene. |
| title_fullStr | Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene. |
| title_short | Learning by heart: cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene. |
| title_sort | learning by heart cultural patterns in the faunal processing sequence during the middle pleistocene |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3577810?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ruthblasco learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT jordirosell learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT manueldominguezrodrigo learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT sergilozano learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT ignasipasto learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT davidriba learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT manuelvaquero learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT josepfernandezperis learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT juanluisarsuaga learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT josemariabermudezdecastro learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene AT eudaldcarbonell learningbyheartculturalpatternsinthefaunalprocessingsequenceduringthemiddlepleistocene |