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A Case of Historic Cannibalism in the American West: Implications for Southwestern Archaeology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Alison E. Rautman  and
Todd W. Fenton
Alison E. Rautman
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
Todd W. Fenton
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
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Abstract

Discoveries of concentrated deposits of fragmentary human bone and their interpretation as evidence of cannibalism in the pre-Hispanic American Southwest have engaged archaeologists in a continuing debate. Forensic study of the victims in the historic Alferd [sic] Packer case from southern Colorado in the 1870s contributes to this discussion by providing detailed data regarding perimortem trauma, cut marks, and butchering patterns in a well-accepted case of mass murder and survival cannibalism. In particular, postmortem cut marks record a butchering strategy focused on filleting muscle tissue for immediate consumption; patterning of cut marks was structured by anatomy and also by cultural values. Contrasts between this historic case and the archaeological assemblages highlights the need for a more nuanced discussion of the cultural context and meaning of the archaeological cases. Interpretations of human skeletal remains arguably must begin with the view of “the body as artifact” and from a theoretical perspective defined largely by osteology and in comparison with zooarchaeological assemblages under various ecological conditions. At this point, however, the debate regarding Anasazi cannibalism would benefit from the addition of other anthropological perspectives, particularly those concerning the human body as a vehicle for the expression of cultural ideas and values.

Résumé

Résumé

Los descubrimientos de concentraciones de huesos humanos fragmentarios y su interpretación como evidencia de canibalismo en el Sudoeste prehispánico de los Estados Unidos ha comprometido a arqueólogos en un debate continuo. El estudio forense de las víctimas del caso histórico del Alferd (sic) Packer del Colorado meridional en los 1870's contribuye a esta discusión, proporcionando datos detallados con respecto a trauma perimortem, marcas de cortadas, y patrones de destazamiento en un caso bien-aceptado de asesinato masivo y canibalismo para la supervivencia. En particular, las marcas de cortadas post mortem registran una estrategia de destazamiento mediante rebanadas finas del músculo para el consumo inmediato. El patrón de las cortaduras obedeció a la anatomía y también a los valores culturales. Los contrastes entre este caso histórico y las colecciones arqueológicas destacan la necesidad de una discusión más matizada del contexto cultural y el significado de los casos arqueológicos. Las interpretaciones de los restos esqueléticos humanos deben comenzar con el punto de vista de “el cuerpo como artefacto”, y desde una perspectiva teórica definida en gran parte, por la osteología y en la comparación con colecciones zooarqueológicas bajo varias condiciones ecológicas. En este punto, sin embargo, el debate con respecto al canibalismo Anasazi se beneficiaría de la suma de otras perspectivas antropológicas, particularmente aquellas referentes al cuerpo humano como vehículo para la expresión de ideas y valores culturales.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 70 , Issue 2 , April 2005 , pp. 321 - 341
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2005

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