An Experimental Approach to Orientation Patterns in Trampling Processes and its Relevance to Site Formation Processes

  1. Marta Pernas Hernández
  2. Manuel Domínguez Rodrigo
Revista:
Journal of taphonomy

ISSN: 1696-0815

Ano de publicación: 2016

Volume: 14

Número: 1

Páxinas: 15-21

Tipo: Artigo

Outras publicacións en: Journal of taphonomy

Resumo

The study of orientation patterns is becoming a trend again in early Pleistocene archaeology. Anisotropy and isotropy can result from different biotic and non-biotic processes. Here an experiment was conducted in order to distinguish how trampling processes modify the orientation patterns of random bone distributions. After submitting 80 bones to the action of directional trampling, we have been able to verify the correlation between the trampling direction of trampling and the existence of anisotropy. This shows that physical and biotic processes in addition to water disturbance can generate anisotropic distributions.