The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting: Protein, Fat, or Politics? (Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology)

Since its inception, paleoanthropology has been closely wedded to the idea that big-game hunting by our hominin ancestors arose, first and foremost, as a means for acquiring energy and vital nutrients. This assumption has rarely been questioned, and seems intuitively obvious--meat is a nutrient-rich food with the ideal array of amino acids, and big animals provide meat in large, convenient packages. Through new research, the author of this volume provides a strong argument that the primary goals of big-game hunting were actually social and political--increasing hunter's prestige and standing--and that the nutritional component was just an added bonus. Through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary research approach, the author examines the historical and current perceptions of protein as an important nutrient source, the biological impact of a high-protein diet and the evidence of this in the archaeological record, and provides a compelling reexamination of this long-held conclusion. This volume will be of interest to researchers in Archaeology, Evolutionary Biology, and Paleoanthropology, particularly those studying diet and nutrition The Paleoanthropologyand Archaeologyof Big-Game Hunting Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: How Do We Reconstruct Hunting Patterns in the Past? 2.1 Uniformitarianism in Paleoanthropology and Archaeology 2.2 Anthropological Bias in the Study of Hunter–Gatherers 2.3 Nutritional Bias in the Study of Hunter–Gatherers 2.4 The Nature of the Archaeological Record Chapter 3: Big-Game Hunting in Human Evolution: The Traditional View Chapter 4: The Other Side of Protein 4.1 The Great Protein Fiasco 4.2 Excess Protein and the Importance of Fat 4.3 Historic Accounts of “Protein Poisoning” 4.3.1 Fat in the Hippopotamus and Eland 4.3.2 Fat in the Giraffe and Zebra 4.4 Ethnographic Accounts of “Protein Poisoning” 4.5 The Stefansson Experiments 4.6 Pemmican 4.7 What Constitutes an Excessive Intake of Protein? Chapter 5: Were Big-Game Hunters Targeting Fat? 5.1 Hadza Hunting Success 5.2 Bushman (San) Hunting Success 5.3 Alternative Foods Available to the San 5.4 Alternative Foods Available to the Hadza Chapter 6: Protein and Pregnancy Chapter 7: Other Problems with High-Protein Intakes 7.1 Water Balance 7.2 Calcium 7.3 Specific Dynamic Action 7.4 Core Body Temperature Chapter 8: Protein and Taste 8.1 Umami 8.2 Raw Meat: Steak Tartare and Frozen Meat 8.3 Prey Body Size and Total Fat Content Chapter 9: Protein and Breast Milk Chapter 10: Fat in Infancy Chapter 11: DHA and the Developing Brain Chapter 12: Big-Game Hunting: Protein, Fat, or Politics? References Index