Abstract Equifinality constitutes a challenge when interpreting agency in archaeological sites. The fact that a specific type of damage frequently cannot be linked to a single actor, behavior, or ecological context, handicaps correct interpretations of site formation processes. Actualistic studies have been used to address this type of problem by creating models and analogies to infer the processes that occurred in the past and explain the formation processes of fossil faunas found at archaeological sites. Here, we apply this approach using observational data from Arilla et al. (2014) describing the consumption of ungulate carcasses by wild brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos). We focus on a specific type of damage, peeling, which was observed to be one of the most significant modifications of axial skeletal elements of carcasses eaten by bears. This fact was especially relevant because the peeling damage was initially attributed to the feeding activities of primates (humans and chimpanzees—Pan troglodytes) and only anecdotally to other taphonomic agents. The observational data are then applied to Level 4 of Toll Cave (Moia, Barcelona, Spain), dated to >49,000 14C BP, which has been interpreted to be a hibernation lair with significant activity by carnivores and sporadic human presence. Rib and vertebral peeling have also been identified at Level 4 bone assemblage, casting doubt on the agent responsible for this damage (effector) in the cave. The aim of our study is to address the equifinality problems that involve peeling as a taphonomical signature in archaeological sites, taking the Pleistocene site of Toll Cave as a case study.

中文翻译：

---

谁剥了骨头？西班牙巴塞罗那 Toll Cave Level 4 轴向元素的现实主义和埋藏学研究

摘要 在考古遗址中解释机构时，等价性构成了一个挑战。特定类型的破坏经常无法与单一的参与者、行为或生态环境联系起来，这一事实阻碍了对场地形成过程的正确解释。通过创建模型和类比来推断过去发生的过程并解释在考古遗址发现的化石动物群的形成过程，现实主义研究已被用于解决此类问题。在这里，我们使用来自 Arilla 等人的观察数据应用这种方法。(2014) 描述了野生棕熊 (Ursus arctos arctos) 对有蹄类动物尸体的消耗。我们专注于一种特定类型的损伤，即剥落，据观察，这是熊吃掉的尸体的轴向骨骼元素最重要的变化之一。这一事实尤其重要，因为脱皮损伤最初归因于灵长类动物（人类和黑猩猩——Pan troglodytes）的摄食活动，而只是轶事地归因于其他填埋剂。然后将观测数据应用于 Toll Cave 的 4 层（Moia，巴塞罗那，西班牙），其日期为 >49,000 14C BP，已被解释为一个冬眠巢穴，食肉动物和零星的人类存在具有显着的活动。在第 4 级骨骼组合中也发现了肋骨和脊椎脱皮，从而对洞穴中造成这种损伤（效应器）的代理产生了怀疑。我们研究的目的是以 Toll Cave 的更新世遗址为案例研究，解决涉及剥落作为考古遗址埋藏学特征的等值问题。