Abstract:
This thesis examines patterns of Polynesian dog remains in the archaeological record and the origins of these patterns from a formational perspective. Formation theory, combined with the sub-discipline of taphonomy, focuses on the processes that create the record that is observed by the archaeologist and the effect these processes have on the retrieval of information about past behavioral processes. Despite the importance of these perspectives in the development of archaeological inference and in gaining a more robust understanding of deposition, there has been relatively little work undertaken. Kurī bone material provides an ideal medium for the investigation of site formation processes as these effects leave a visible trace on the bones. Comparative data on the effect of weathering was obtained from two kurī assemblages from different environmental contexts, to understand the effect of the deposition on element representation. An ordinal scale was used to measure the extent of weathering present. This scale was developed based on the presence of markers such as cracking, splitting and flaking of the cortical bone, revealing the underlying cancellous bone. The results from this analysis of these two kurī bone assemblages provides evidence that the taphonomic agent of weathering probably plays a significant role in determining the representation of kurī bones within the record. These results offer an alternative explanation for the patterns observed in the archaeological record which have often been attributed solely to behavioral processes in the past.