Marcelo Caballero
Research Mentor: Kara Larson
Mentor Department: Anthropology; Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, LSA
Author(s): Marcelo Caballero, Kara Larson
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 83
Abstract
This research examines butchery practices at Early Bronze Age (3300-2300 B.C.E.) Tell el-Hesi through a comparative analysis of butchery incidents recorded on faunal remains from two distinct contexts: residential Field IV and the non-residential Field VI. By focusing on the distribution and morphology of cut marks, this study evaluates carcass processing behaviors, tool use, and the degree of specialization among butchers operating across the site. Butchery incidents from both fields were systematically recorded, including anatomical location, orientation, and frequency, using DinoLite magnification. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was then used to assess cut mark morphology and identify tool technology and cutting techniques. This approach allows for a direct comparison of how butchery was carried out in domestic versus non-domestic spaces. Results demonstrate clear divergence between the two contexts. Field IV exhibits relatively consistent patterning in both the placement and execution of butchery incidents, suggesting more routine and repeated processing practices within a household setting. In contrast, Field VI shows substantially greater variability in both cut mark morphology, indicating a wider range of techniques and, likely, a large number of butchers. This evidence suggests that there was no specialized, site-wide butcher, or the presence of specialized practitioners, at the site during a period demarcated by increasing specialization. These findings support a decentralized model of provisioning in which households were responsible for carcass processing, with variability emerging from context-specific practices rather than specialization. By centering butchery incidents as the primary analytical unit, this study highlights how fine-grained analysis of cut mark variability can refine interpretations of labor organization and provisioning in Early Bronze Age urban settings.
