 |
 |
Dear Laura and All, My understanding of "fossil" versus "subfossil" derives from the geologic perspective, fossils being animal remains where permineralization or another form of mineral replacement has taken place and subfossils being those where this process hasn't occurred or is incomplete. Time is obviously one of the factors involved in this process such that Holocene age remains are frequently subfossil. Laura, it's not clear from your email whether the suspected fossils are appearing as discrete deposits or whether they occur in the same depositional context as zooarchaeological material. In the the first case, you may find the following reference helpful: Rosendahl, D., Ulm, S. and Weisler M.I. 2007. Using foraminifera to distinguish between natural and cultural shell deposits in coastal eastern Australia. *Journal of Archaeological Science* 34(10):1584-1593. Best, Christina Christina M. Giovas, PhD Research Archaeologist Hamilton, ON Canada Book Review Editor, *Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology* Editor, *The Current* Newsletter On Thu, Jan 9, 2014 at 8:18 AM, Daniella Bar-Yosef <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Hi, > Here is the reference to my paper on fossil mollusks found at Catalhoyuk, > Turkey, and dating to the Miocene and Pliocene. If you need a PDF please > let me know. > > I think as a general rule we refer to Quaternary materials from > archaeological sites as sub-fossils, and anything that pre-dates humans is > a "real" fossil. Any thoughts on this? > > Best wishes, > Daniella > > Bar-Yosef Mayer, D.E., Gümüş, B.A. and Y. İslamoğlu, 2010, Fossil > hunting in the Neolithic: shells from the Taurus Mountains at Çatalhöyük, > Turkey. *Geoarchaeology* 25(3): 375–392. DOI:10.1002/gea.20311 > On Jan 9, 2014, at 1:33 PM, Simon Davis wrote: > > Dear Laura and Arturo, > > I have found a fragment of pygmy hippopotamus metapodial at the Aceramic > Neolithic site of Cape Andreas Kastros in Cyprus. It was very heavy – i.e., > very fossilized and did not have any cut marks. I concluded that it had > been picked up by Neolithic people as a souvenir – evidence for an early > interest in vertebrate palaeontology. There are some 20 known geological > sites on the island with remains of pygmy hippo. It is described and > discussed in the following two reports: > > Davis, SJM (1989) - Some more animal remains from the Aceramic Neolithic > of Cyprus. In: Le Brun, A. *Fouilles récentes à Khirokitia (Chypre) > 1983‑1986*. pp. 189‑221. Paris, ADPF, Editions Recherche sur les > Civilisations > > > Davis, SJM (2003) - The zoo-archaeology of Khirokitia (Neolithic Cyprus), > including a view from the mainland.In: Guilaine, J. and Le Brun, A. > (eds.) Le Néolithique de Chypre; Actes du Colloque International organisé > par le Département des Antiquités de Chypre et l’École française d’Athènes; > Nicosie 17-19 Mai 2001. Athens, École française d’Athènes. *Bulletin de > Correspondance Hellénique*, Supplément *43*, 253-268 > > In addition I often found fossil (?Miocene) dentalium shells (with shell > walls much thicker than contemporary Mediterranean or Red Sea dentalia) and > shark teeth at a Natufian site in northern Israel (Hayonim Terrace) which I > suspected at the time (this was 1975) were fossil. I think Daniella Bar > Yosef can tell you more about these, or at least the scaphopods! > > Best > Simon > > > > > > *De:* Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] *Em nome de *Laura Llorente > *Enviada:* quinta-feira, 9 de Janeiro de 2014 9:47 > *Para:* [log in to unmask] > *Assunto:* [ZOOARCH] fossil faunas > > > Dear all, > I write on behalf of Arturo Morales who is presently trying to address on > three Spanish sites how to set apart ?fossils?, meaning faunas dating from > long before an archaeological occupation, from those essentially > contemporaneous with it. The problem is not just one of how to define a > fossil (not that easy, or so it seems) but also what kinds of criteria can > one use to set apart ?modern? from ?old? in different groups, vertebrates > and mollusks in particular. This is critical when dealing with specimens > from species which are still alive (mollusks and shark teeth from coastal > sites close to paleontological outcrops are a case in point). > Does anyone know papers specifying such differences? Or papers that > would provide protocols one needs to apply to the specimens to set apart > fossil from ?modern?? > We would also be grateful if people could point out regional reviews on > fossils from conventional archaeofaunal assemblages especially from Europe > *OTHER* than the ones cited below. > Greetings, > Laura > > REFERENCES > > Banerjee A., López Padilla J.A., Schuhmacher T.X. (eds.) (2012), > *Elfenbeinstudie*n, Faszikel 1*. Marfil y elefantes en la Península > Ibérica y el Mediterráneo occ*idental. Iberia Archaeologica. Band 16. > Faszikel 1.Verlag Philipp von Zabern > Bosinski, G., 1975. *Ein fossiler Haifischzahn vom Magdalenien-Fundplatz > Gönnersdorf*. Heimat-Jahrbuch des Landkreises Neuwied, pp. 47-48. > > Bosinski, G., 1981. *Gönnersdorf. Eiszeitjäger am Mittelrhein*. Führer > zur Sonderausstellung des Landesmuseums Koblenz 1981, in: Schriftenreihe > der Bezirksregierung Koblenz, Band 2. > > Chase, P.G. & Dibble H. (1987) Middle Paleolithic Symbolism: A Review > of Current. Evidence and Interpretations*.* *Journal of > Anthropological Archaeology > <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02784165> 6/3 > <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02784165/6/3>**:* 263?296 > Eriksen, B.V., 2002. Fossil Mollusks and Exotic Raw Materials in Late > Glacial and Early Postglacial Find Contexts: A Complement to Lithic Studies > Eriksen, in: Fisher, L.E., Eriksen, B.V. (Eds.), *Lithic raw material > economy in late glacial and early postglacial western Europe*. British > Archaeological Reports S1093, Oxford, pp. 27-52. > Gaudzinski, S., Turner, E., Anzidei, A.P., Álvarez, E., Arroyo, J., > Cinq-Mars, J., Dobosi, V.T., Hannus, A., Johnson, E., Münzel, S.C., Scheer, > A., Villa, P., 2005. The use of Prosbocidean remains in every-day > Palaeolithic life. *Quat. Int.* 126-128, 179-184. > Goren-Inbar, N.; Lewy, Z.; Kislev, M.E. (1991) The taphonomy of a > bead-like fossil from the Acheulian of Gesher Benot Ya?aqov, Israel.*Rock > Art Research* 8(2): 83?87. > Mayor, A. (2010) The First fossil hunters. Dinousars, Mammoths, and Myth > in the Greek and Roman World: Tracing the History of Human Curiosity about > Fossils. Princenton University Press. > Oakley 1975. *Decorative and symbolic uses of vertebrate fossils*. > Occasional Papers on Technology nº 12. Oxford, Pitt Rivers Museum. > Oakley K.P. (1979) Fossil coral artifacts from Niah Cave. *Asian > Perspective*, vol. 20(1): 69-74. > Solounias N. & Mayor, A. (2004) ?Ancient references to the fossils from > the land of Pythagoras?. *Earth Sciences History* 23(2): 283-296. > Taborin, Y., 1993. *La parure en coquillages au Paléolithique*. XXIXe > Suppl. Gallia Prehist. CNRS, Paris > > > > > > > > >