2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Histomorphological species identification of tiny bone fragments from Paleolithic sites
| Project/Area Number |
23701014
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Cultural property science
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| Research Institution | St. Marianna University School of Medicine |
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Principal Investigator |
SAWADA Junmei 聖マリアンナ医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (10374943)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2011 – 2013
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| Keywords | 骨組織形態学 / 緻密骨 / 種同定 / 旧石器時代 / 更新世日本列島 / 人類学 / 考古動物学 |
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| Research Abstract |
Bone histomorphology is an effective method for species identification of fragmentary osseous remains. The Kashiwadai 1 Upper Paleolithic site in Hokkaido yielded tiny bone fragments. For the purpose of species identification, histomorphological analyses were performed on thin sections of the Kashiwadai 1 bone fragments. The structures of the Kashiwadai 1 samples consisted of secondary osteons and plexiform bone. Consideration of the presence versus absence of plexiform bone and quantitative assessments of osteon sizes and bone cortical thickness allows for distinction between medium-sized deer, large-sized artiodactyls, small- to medium-sized carnivores, large-sized carnivores, elephants, and humans. The histomorphological characteristics of the Kashiwadai 1 samples were quite similar to those of both sika deer and ancient sika deer. A probable conclusion is that medium-sized deer was the primary game hunted by Paleolithic people at the Kashiwadai 1 site.
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