Problemas propuestos a los alumnos para su resolución Ejemplo

This section reviews the archaeological data for Sus scrofa, both wild and domestic, in post-glacial Europe. The types of information that can be obtained from the remains of this species are described, and the major archaeological questions asked about this species are discussed. This section introduces the Neolithic sites which are

contemporary with the archaeological case study used in this project (Durrington Walls, see Chapter Seven). The use of measurements of teeth and bones to distinguish wild from domestic Sus scrofa in assemblages from a selection of sites is critiqued.

Sus scrofa was one of the most widespread medium/large sized mammals in

prehistoric Europe, and was an important element of the human resource base in both the Neolithic and Mesolithic periods. Most sites from these periods where animal bones are preserved will usually include Sus scrofa in varying quantities. The ways in which the information from remains of this species has been recorded and reported reflects how Sus

scrofa has been used in the interpretation of sites. In both the Mesolithic and Neolithic,

Sus scrofa data have contributed to some major archaeological/zooarchaeological

2.3.1 Site seasonality

In the Mesolithic, a major question concerns site seasonality - the time of year and the duration of human occupation at a site. Several lines of bioarchaeological evidence can be used to establish season(s) of occupation, and one of these is the estimated age-at- death of individuals in the Sus scrofa sample. In this species the approximate age-at- death can be assessed from both the epiphyseal fusion of the skeletal elements and the stage of dental eruption and occlusal wear, although such age estimates can only be approximate. There can be variation between populations/regions for various reasons, such as abrasiveness of food or the type of soil which comes into contact with the dentition during rooting. In most of Europe the wild boar population is known to rut in the late autumn and the sows give birth in April/May (Lauwerier 1983:483). Following this, an assemblage with many individuals estimated to be eight months old would

possibly represent a winter occupation, where young of that year are hunted as they enter their first winter. This reasoning is, of course, based on the assumption that the rutting and farrowing times observed today in Europe are representative of those in the past. Also the uniformity of birthing times across different areas of Europe is assumed, while it could be that in optimal conditions the young were bom earlier, or more than one litter each year was possible, as is seen in modem domestic pigs.

A number of the sites reviewed in this chapter provide examples of the estimation of the season of occupation form the faunal material, often wild boar are part of that material. At the site of Bjomsholm the seasonality information derived from the Sus

scrofa remains suggested that the killings occurred around later spring or early summer.

However information form other species particularly the presence of small camivore which Bratlund interpreted as killed for fur thus indicating a winter occupation (Bratlund 1991:100-101) At another Scandinavia site that of Svaerdborg 1 seasonality information was collected from a number of species including pig and deer, the presence of migratory bird species was also noted and the season of occupation was suggested as ranging from early spring to late autumn (Sorensen 1976:147-148).

In Ireland where the native fauna is more restricted the calculation of seasonality from Sus scrofa material is important, at the site of Lough Boora, the discovery of unwom milk teeth led to the suggestion of a summer occupation (Van Wijngaarden-

Bakker 1988:127). At Mount Sandel, however the presence of foetal Sus scrofa

material would be consistent with a winter occupation. However the presence of salmon indicates a summer occupation (ibid.:13l). This illustrates how two types of evidence can be gained from faunal remains age at death of animals which birth at a known time of year and the presence of a resource such as salmon which is only available for a

restricted time each year.

Seasonality was investigated at the site of Arene Candide which had remains of domestic sheep and wild pig. The calculation of the age at death for the Sus scrofa using dental data suggested that the killing of boar took place between November and March. It was more difficult to assess the seasonality of the sheep and goats as the birthing period is less discrete than that seen for Sus scrofa. The conclusion was that the presence of the ovicaprids probably extended the occupation into the summer months (Rowley-Conwy 1991).

It should be remembered that even though Sus scrofa may be present in an assemblage it may not always be used to establish the season of occupation. At Star Carr where the seasonality has been reviewed several times, the wild boar remains are so small in number that it is largely the deer species (red and roe) which are relied on for the seasonality estimate (Legge and Rowley-Conwy 1988).

What is apparent is that to establish reliable assessments of the season(s) of occupation, a number lines of evidence are ideally required, such as dentitions of other mammals, the stage of growth of antlers, and fish otoliths and shellfish remains, in which incremental growth lines can be identified. Plant remains and oxygen isotope analysis of molluscan material can also provide seasonality information.

2.3.2 Domestic pigs in Europe

A major zooarchaeological focus for the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic in Europe is whether mammal remains from sites represent wild or domestic animals. This question is relatively easy to answer for species such as sheep and goat which are native to the Near East but not Europe; hence, their appearance on European sites indicates importation. Sus and also Bos present more of a problem in this respect, as the wild Sus scrofa and

Bos primigenius are native to Europe and are present in many areas during the

This means that when considering Sus scrofa and the issue of domestication for European sites, three alternative models must be considered:

1) the transport of domestic stock from the Near East into Europe in sufficient quantities