Premium
Black rats ( Rattus rattus ) from medieval Mertola (Baixo Alentejo, Portugal)
Author(s) -
Morales A.,
Rodríguez J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb05737.x
Subject(s) - taphonomy , fragmentation (computing) , biology , rodent , archaeology , ecology , zoology , geography
This paper is about the analysis and interpretation of micromammal samples from archaeological sites while reporting on a black rat assemblage from XIII th century Muslim levels in the city of Mertola. Questions concerning skeletal representation, size plus age estimations and bone fragmentation are discussed from a taphonomic standpoint. It is concluded that the tendency to interpret rodent accumulations in anthropic sites as evidence of preybird activities might be an oversimplification in need of substantial revision.