Testing the damage caused by a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) on a primate skull: a taphonomic case study of the bone damage observed after a simulated predatory attack

Abstract

The present case study proposes an experimental approach to the taphonomic characterization of modifications that are produced on bone surfaces by eagles during the attack and capture of their prey. Under these circumstances, a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) attack on a Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) skull was simulated. The macaque specimen was analysed from a taphonomic perspective, which allowed for the comparison of traces left on the skull against the data that have already been published on past and present primate attacks by eagles. The results of the experiment confirmed the presence of some modifications that were similar to the damage described in the literature for specific palaeoanthropological specimens. However, the number of alterations observed was much lower because the attack was restricted to a single event, with the aim being to isolate the specific predatory attack damage. This kind of experiment demonstrates how experimental archaeology can be a useful tool for replicating past scenarios by using rigorous scientific methods, testing hypotheses and interpreting archaeological assemblages.