How much did we lose? Investigating the impact of depositional environments on bone artifact preservation: Preliminary taphonomical findings

Abstract

The impact of the depositional environment on bone artifacts is a crucial aspect of traceological research related to prehistoric osseous tools. The conditions in which bone artifacts are deposited significantly influence their preservation and the visibility of manufacturing and use-wear traces. Various factors such as soil composition, climate, burial depth, microbial activity and taphonomic processes (e.g., scavenging, water transport, and plant roots), can alter the state of bone artifacts. These processes may introduce additional wear or modify existing traces. This study presents the preliminary results of a taphonomical research examining the impact of different soils and post-depositional changes (mainly plant roots and fungi) on the preservation and visibility of cultural modifications on bones. Thus, an experiment was conducted where specially prepared modern bone pieces with various manufacturing traces on their surfaces were deposited outdoors in five types of soil for periods of 3 and 6 years. The study’s findings provide numerous interesting observations and insights into the preservation of various types of manufacturing stigmata and the bones themselves, emphasizing the need for further in-depth research in this field. Furthermore, the presented findings may be helpful in taphonomic, traceological and forensic science research.