Mark,
Out here, I think it has a lot more to do with how close you are to urban
areas. Mexican Americans and Spanish Americans buy meat at markets, but both
like to splinter the meat for the marrow for stews and soups. Chinese Americans
splinter bone too. Ethnicity and proximity to urban areas are important
factors.
Ron
In a message dated 1/23/2009 10:05:06 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Ron,
I really was limiting my question to the use of the term "band saw"
as resulting from the use of mechanically powered rather than
hand-powered saws.
It is my general opinion that it might be quite difficult (at least
in some cases) to determine the difference between the skilled use of
a relatively modern bone saw (which mimics a hack saw) and the use of
a mechanized band saw ... And I guess that was the root of my
question, i.e., when do we start thinking about bandsawing a "real"
technology, and hence, start to use it in descriptive contexts.
Now, as to the use of the ax/cleaver vs. saw-cut butchering
techniques ... I think that there is clearly an inherent difference,
at least in terms of time-line; probably also in terms of an any
other number of varibles, including ethnicity. Generally, in both
Michigan and here in Illinois, if a site predate's 1840, there's
going to be a lot of ax/cleaver butchering evidence, and after that
date an increasing amount of sawn bone. Just a general way to sort
data chrononologically, particularly in terms of surface collections,
initial samples, etc.
However, I do not think that the presence of saw-cut meat on a
farmstead should assume the use of "store bought" butchered meat,
i,e., the presence of saw-cut beef or pork on a pre-1840 site should
not necessarily be interpreted as proof of off-site purchase. For
the prehistoric folk we routinely throw around the the use of
"expedient" tools, and I am sure that the concept was certainly
implemented by our own ancestors ... You use whatever works ... If a
saw is handy when you are cutting up a carcass, and it works, you use
it, if an axe works better, you use it ...
Mark
--
Mark C. Branstner, RPA
Historic Archaeologist
Illinois Transportation
Archaeological Research Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
23 East Stadium Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217.244.0892
Fax: 217.244.7458
Cell: 517.927.4556
[log in to unmask]
"I hope there's pudding" - Luna Lovegood (HP5)
"If you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail"- Anonymous
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