Small carnivores fur exploitation in prehistoric times: Contribution of experimental studies

Abstract

Fur exploitation is usually advocated when small carnivores retrieved in archaeological sites. However, very few butchery referentials are presently available to test such assumption. An experimental study was conduced here in order to identify cut marks derived from skinning activities on small carnivore carcasses. Several skinning methods were tested. Our results evidence that cut marks location varies according to the skinning method employed. These methods provide a new insights into the evaluation of skeletal part representation in terms of site categories identified in the archaeological record (base camp, kill site, pelts site). The analysis also provides new tools to determine the status of small game in human societies.