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Engis: preparation damage, not ancient cutmarks.

T D White¹, N Toth

¹Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

|March 1, 1989

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Scratches on the Engis 2 cranium were misinterpreted as ancient human behavior. Microscopic analysis reveals these marks are modern artificial striae from restoration and artifact production, not prehistoric actions.

Area of Science:

Paleoanthropology
Forensic Anthropology
Archaeological Science

Background:

The Engis 2 cranium, a significant fossil hominid specimen, exhibits scratches previously interpreted as perimortem intentional scalping marks.
This interpretation, proposed by Russell and LeMort in 1986, suggested evidence of prehistoric behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

To re-examine the nature of the scratches on the Engis 2 cranium.
To determine the origin of these marks and their relevance to prehistoric hominid behavior.

Main Methods:

Detailed microscopic examination of the striae on the Engis 2 cranium.
Comparison of the observed striations with known damage patterns from fossil restoration techniques and artifact manufacturing processes.

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Main Results:

The scratches on the Engis 2 cranium are not perimortem or indicative of prehistoric behavior.
The marks are identified as artificial striae resulting from modern processes: sandpaper abrasion during restoration, mold-making incisions, and craniogram profiling with steel instruments.

Conclusions:

The previous interpretation of the Engis 2 cranium marks as intentional scalping is incorrect.
These marks are artifacts of post-discovery scientific procedures and have no bearing on understanding early hominid behavior or capabilities.