Find in Library

Burnt bone remains are found from many Palaeolithic sites but there may be several explanations for their presence. Laboratory experiments were set up in order to define the combustible properties of bones and to characterize the bone remains resulting from combustion. Further experiments have allowed to precise the effect of post-depositionnal agents on burnt bones. On the basis of these results, three indices relating to the frequency of the cancellous portions, the intensity of fragmentation and the intensity of combustion are proposed to describe and interpret the burned bone assemblages. The multivariate analysis carried out on a sample of Paleolithic archaeological assemblages makes it possible to differentiate three main categories (fuel, non-fuel and fuel/cleaning) which serve as the basis for a statistical model which will allow to propose new interpretations of the burned assemblages.