TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF VERTEBRATE BONE FROM JORALEMON'S CAVE AND BACKDOOR CAVE, ALBANY COUNTY, NEW YORK

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) bone fragments from archaeological and paleontological contexts recovered from Joralemon's Cave and Backdoor Cave, Albany County, New York were analyzed for 18 trace elements using x-ray diffraction. The results were compared to trace element levels in fresh, subaerially-exposed, and experimentally-altered (boiled, roasted, burned) white-tailed deer long bones.

Enrichment and depletion of certain elements from the cave bones (Al, Cd, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na) is consistent with previous experiments in bone-soil interactions and suggests the active role of pore waters in regulating ion exchange between bone and sediments in cave environments infiltrated by vadose water.

The taphonomic history of vertebrate assemblages from cave sites must be carefully considered in geochemical analyses, as high quantities of fecal residues from carnivore scat could conceivably raise bone and sediment Fe levels, particularly in caves that serve as regular den sites. In addition, remains scavenged from open-air kills or deposited within caves by rodents can have different trace element signatures based upon their previous duration of exposure outside of the cave environment.