Global hunting adaptations to early Holocene temperate forests : intentional dog burials as evidence of hunting strategies
The close connection between humans and dogs in the prehistoric past, often with a focus on a hunting relationship, has long been proposed, yet has rarely been evaluated. This thesis investigates parallels in environment, culture, adaptation and dog mortuary phenomenon among three complex hunter-gatherer groups in the early Holocene. Although dog domestication appears to have occurred in the late Upper Palaeolithic, the first instances of intentional, individual dog burials are not seen until after the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition. These burials appear nearly simultaneously among culturally and geographically unrelated early Holocene complex hunter-gatherers in three distinct locations: the midsouth United States, northern Europe and eastern Japan; coinciding with the onset of significant postglacial warming that triggered dramatic environmental change throughout the northern temperate zone; specifically the establishment of temperate deciduous forests. Along with this new environment came new ungulate prey species, and with the new prey species important hunting adaptations by humans. Ethnozooarchaeological fieldwork conducted with modern hunters in the United States and Japan, along with additional ethnographic
Perri, Angela Ray
Global hunting adaptations to early Holocene temperate forests : intentional dog burials as evidence of hunting strategies. The close connection between humans and dogs in the prehistoric past, often with a focus on a hunting relationship, has long been proposed, yet has rarely been evaluated. This thesis investigates parallels in environment, culture, adaptation and dog mortuary phenomenon among three complex hunter-gatherer groups in the early Holocene. Although dog domestication appears to have occurred in the late Upper Palaeolithic, the first instances of intentional, individual dog burials are not seen until after the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition. These burials appear nearly simultaneously among culturally and geographically unrelated early Holocene complex hunter-gatherers in three distinct locations: the midsouth United States, northern Europe and eastern Japan; coinciding with the onset of significant postglacial warming that triggered dramatic environmental change throughout the northern temperate zone; specifically the establishment of temperate deciduous forests. Along with this new environment came new ungulate prey species, and with the new prey species important hunting adaptations by humans. Ethnozooarchaeological fieldwork conducted with modern hunters in the United States and Japan, along with additional ethnographic
global hunting adaptation temperate forest intentional dog burial_evidence hunt strategy close_connection human dog prehistoric past often_focus hunt relationship long propose yet rarely evaluate investigates parallel environment culture adaptation dog mortuary phenomenon among complex_hunter gatherer group although dog domestication appear occurred late upper_palaeolithic first_instance intentional individual dog burial see pleistocene holocene transition burial appear nearly simultaneously among culturally geographically unrelated complex_hunter gatherer three_distinct location united_states northern_europe eastern japan coincide onset significant postglacial trigger dramatic environmental_change throughout northern temperate zone specifically establishment temperate forest along new environment come new ungulate prey specie new prey specie important hunt adaptation human fieldwork_conduct modern hunter united_states japan along additional ethnographic