Human use and reuse of megafaunal bones in North America: Bone fracture, taphonomy, and archaeological interpretation

The remains of Terminal Pleistocene megafauna in North America represent a continent-wide case study in understanding the taphonomic processes that affect bones, and the use and reuse of bones among some of North America's earliest inhabitants. The complex dynamics of bone fracture, bone degradation, and the effects of natural and cultural taphonomic processes present a challenge for interpreting the nature of fractured and fragmented zooarchaeological material in North America. The role of the environment in affecting bones and their suitability for use and reuse is profound. Natural processes affect the preservation of bones and their suitability for use, which presents an interpretive challenge for archaeologists examining fractured and fragmented remains. This paper seeks to explain, describe, and resolve some of the problems inherent in assessing and understanding the use and reuse of bones as raw materials, using evidence from two Terminal Pleistocene sites in North America (Owl Cave in Idaho, and the Inglewood site in Maryland) as case studies that highlight the cultural, environmental, and interpretive differences that are manifest in zooarchaeological (and paleontological) assemblages.