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

The article that I found of interest for this blog is A Case of Historic Cannibalism in the American West: Implications for Southwestern Archaeology by Alison E. Rautman and Todd W. Fenton.  Here are some questions that emphasized what was most important in the article.

1. What do Rautman and Fenton argue in this article?
   They argue that osteological data from the historic Alferd Packer cannibalism case contributes to the debate on cannibalism because it provides remains that show non-debatable evidence that cannibalism was involved. They also argue that the Packer case contributes to the study of prehistoric cannibalism because of it's rich historical context.
2. What is the purpose of this article?
   Their goal is to inform archaeologists to a case study (the Packer case) that they feel should be of more than just historic interest.
3. What evidence makes the authors so sure that there had been postmortem processing?
   Evidence shows that there were multiple cut marks exhibited on the bones that would have had large muscles attached to them. These cut marks were not found on the small bones of the body such as hands or feet. They were not found on bones of the body that have minimal muscle attachment either, such as the skull.
4. What are two ways that prove the data from the Packer case is relevant to the debate regarding Anasazi cannibalism?
   The Packer case provides evidence that shows cannibalism has no necessary correlation with any particular postmortem treatment of the human body. It also shows how cannibalism can be identified from material remains in the archaeological record.