Lisa Nagaoka

The effects of resource depression on foraging efficiency, diet breadth, and patch use in southern New Zealand

While many studies have examined human impacts on prehistoric environments, few have explicitly examined how foragers adapt to the changing environmental situations that they have created. The goal of this analysis is to study the relationship between human foraging economies and human-related environmental change in southern New Zealand. Foraging theory is used to generate predictions about subsistence change resulting from the declining abundance of important resources such as moas and seals. In particular, these predictions examine changes in (1) the kind of resources exploited (foraging efficiency), (2) the number of resources utilized (diet breadth), and (3) the habitats exploited (patch choice). The predictions are tested using the large assemblage of vertebrate faunal remains from the well-stratified and well-dated Shag River Mouth site. This study shows that using foraging theory models to structure analysis provides a more fine-grained spatial and temporal resolution of subsistence change in southern New Zealand than has been previously achieved.

Explaining subsistence change in southern New Zealand using foraging theory models

New Zealand provides one of the earliest examples of foraging theory applications to archaeological situations (Anderson 1981). Since this landmark study, significant developments over the last twenty years have led to an increasing number of detailed analyses examining the effects of resource depression on human foraging. In particular, foraging theory analyses have become better at documenting resource depression and integrating butchery/transport studies into these analyses. Using the faunal data from the Shag River Mouth site, I illustrate how these methodological advances have resulted in a more comprehensive understanding of the processes of subsistence change in southern New Zealand.

Antipodean Perspectives on Zooarchaeology: Behavioral Ecology, Taphonomy, and Applied Research

ABSTRACT Zooarchaeological research in New Zealand has a particularly long history, dating from the 1870s. Over the last century, it has both followed larger trends in the discipline and developed innovative approaches. Three types of research that reflect these broader movements and novel approaches are identified in this historical review of New Zealand archeofaunal studies. First, zooarchaeological studies have been used to not only illustrate human impacts on the environment, but also to examine the consequences of anthropogenic environmental change for resident human populations. Second, taphonomic research, beginning with Julius von Haasts qualitative examinations of moa-hunter butchering patterns, is considered, particularly studies relating to butchery and carnivore damage. Finally, examples of New Zealand research that are poised to make significant contributions to the burgeoning field of applied zooarchaeology are highlighted.

Conservation implications of late Holocene freshwater mussel remains of the Leon River in central Texas

Zooarchaeology is the study of animal remains (bone, shell, antler, and other organic tissues) from archaeological sites, which can provide conservation biologists with data on human–environmental interactions with greater time depth than historical records. Such data are of interest because they can be used to study whether or not contemporary animal communities (in this case of freshwater mussels) have changed in terms of species composition or range as a result of human-induced changes to habitat, which is essential for determining a species’ conservation status and formulating actions to protect remaining populations. This study considers whether or not the taxonomic composition of the freshwater mussel community from the Leon River in central Texas differs between the late Holocene and today. Specifically, we analyzed two zooarchaeological assemblages and compared those results with recent surveys conducted within the Leon River. Three species proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act are found in the zooarchaeological record, of which two are now extirpated from the river basin (Truncilla macrodon and Fusconaia mitchelli). The results of this study provide an example of how zooarchaeological data can be used to evaluate mussel community change through time and provide evidence of range curtailment for threatened mussel species.

Archaeological data suggest broader early historic distribution for blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus, Actinopterygii, Catostomidae) in New Mexico

Abstract Zooarchaeological data are increasingly important for establishing late Holocene conservation baselines for species of concern. The blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) is experiencing range reduction and is endangered in the State of New Mexico. The early historic (ca. AD 1540) distribution of blue sucker is poorly understood, and the extent of habitat loss is unclear. In 1961, two blue sucker skeletal elements were recovered from a late prehistoric/early historic archaeological site in northern New Mexico called Rainbow House (LA 217). Those remains suggest that the past range of blue sucker was larger; however, since that publication, little consideration has been given to the past presence of this species in the Upper Rio Grande. New zooarchaeological data from a site in northern New Mexico called Ponsipa (LA 297) have revealed the presence of multiple blue sucker skeletal elements. Additionally, a review of site reports and regional archaeological journal publications increased the abundance of blue sucker elements found at Rainbow House and added three archaeological sites where blue sucker has been reported in the region. Collectively, this information suggests a broader pre-impoundment distribution for blue sucker than previously recognized and can help establish a new baseline for their conservation or restoration in New Mexico.

Zooarcheology: Investigating Past Interactions Between Humans and Other Animals

Zooarcheology is the study of animal remains, such as bone, shell, horn, antler, and other tissues, recovered from archeological sites. The field fits neatly under the umbrella of ethnobiology—or the study of human–biota interactions—and often focuses on research related to past subsistence and environments. This chapter introduces decision rules for data quality in faunal analysis, as well as taphonomy. In addition, the chapter covers basic quantification and provides a brief discussion of statistical inference. We summarize a case study from the Shag River Mouth site from the South Island of New Zealand, which introduces fundamental aspects of human behavioral ecology in zooarcheology, as well as a weight of evidence research approach. The final main section of the chapter provides a brief discussion of new directions in applied zooarcheology related to environmental management.