Bos, Ovis et Capra dans les sites néolithiques du Proche Orient. A propos de la communication de D. Helmer au colloque Préhistoire du Levant 2

Abstract

The cattle bone remains from eight near-eastern neolithic settlements are compared. The indices de taille method is justified vs log-ratios method. Using computer simulations, it is shown that high values of Student-Fisher t test are not actual evidence for specific différenciation but can just correspond to a different amount of females in a population where females have a lower size than males. The high values of t given by Helmer have no signification at all. The homogeneity test, which is to be applied before any comparisons mean to mean, shows that if heterogeneity exists near the border of Bos primigenius geographical area all the cattle remains of those sites belong to one single species, Bos primigenius. The conditions prevailing over determination of caprine bone remains do not allow the use of this method for comparisons. It is clear that, for the period during which the Man/animals relationship was evolving to domestication, the use, for a palethnological approach, of osteometrical comparisons with no other considerations remains insufficient.