• Login
    View Item 
    •   Shocker Open Access Repository Home
    • Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Anthropology
    • ANTH Faculty Scholarship
    • ANTH Research Publications
    • View Item
    •   Shocker Open Access Repository Home
    • Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Anthropology
    • ANTH Faculty Scholarship
    • ANTH Research Publications
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Analysis of a coprolite from Conejo Shelter, Texas: Potential ritualistic viperous snake consumption

    Date
    2019-06
    Author
    Sonderman, Elanor M.
    Dozier, Crystal A.
    Smith, Morgan F.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Sonderman, Elanor M.; Dozier, Crystal A.; Smith, Morgan F. 2019. Analysis of a coprolite from Conejo Shelter, Texas: Potential ritualistic viperous snake consumption. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, vol. 25:pp 85-93
    Abstract
    This paper presents an analysis of the floral and faunal remains of a single human coprolite recovered from Conejo Shelter, Texas (41VV162). The unique contents of this specimen warrant full description. Floral macrobotanical analysis revealed a high density of Agave lechuguilla and Dasylirion spp. fibers. Calcium oxalate crystals confirm the ingestion of Opuntia. Palynological analysis found evidence for a variety of plants with known economic and medicinal uses, with pollen from the Liliaceae (new: Asparagales) family predominating. Zooarchaeological analysis found the remains of a small rodent, evidently eaten whole, with no indication of preparation or cooking. Notably, the bones, scales and a fang of a snake in the Viperidae family were also recovered from the coprolite, which is the first direct archaeological evidence of venomous snake consumption known to the researchers. With the exception of the Viperidae remains, the coprolite evidence is consistent with previous research at Conejo Shelter and the Lower Pecos region. Recently assayed radiocarbon samples from this coprolite and a second, unprocessed coprolite from the same archaeological provenience produced a date range of 1460–1528 cal BP. Future analyses of coprolites from this lens and the surrounding contexts will further our current understanding of this unique gastrological event and better situate it in the context of diet patterns and paleoenvironmental adaptions in the Lower Pecos.
    Description
    Click on the DOI link to access the article (may not be free).
    URI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.03.032
    http://hdl.handle.net/10057/16106
    Collections
    • ANTH Research Publications

    Browse

    All of Shocker Open Access RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsBy TypeThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsBy Type

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2022  DuraSpace
    DSpace Express is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV