Schlep Effect

Definition:

The 'schlep effect' (sometimes spelled schlepp) is a term coined by archaeologists in the 1950s to explain recognized and recurring differences in faunal (animal bone) archaeological assemblages, particularly in the pattern of body part representation. Schlep is a Yiddish word (originally schlepn), roughly meaning drag or haul something with great effort.

The underlying hypothesis for the shlep effect is that when people hunt megafauna--large-bodied animals such as buffalo, horses, reindeer, mammoth and llamas--as a practical necessity, the hunters conduct preliminary butchering in the field at the kill site and avoid "schlepping" large heavy bones with limited usefulness long distances.

Thus, when archaeologists discover certain elements--such as foot bones and skulls--together at an archaeological site that lacks rib bones or upper leg bones, they could interpret that to mean that the larger less useful bits were left in the field and the meaty rest were taken back to the home base.

Problems with the Schlep Effect

The primary problems with identifying butchering and processing sites using the schlep effect hypothesis are taphonomic processes. Briefly, taphonomy is the study of how archaeological sites are created, and the environmental and cultural effects that go into making them. First and most importantly, butchering techniques are not always consistent in time and place: some long bones are broken to extract marrow, other body parts may be kept for reasons that have nothing to do with their food value--a cultural taphonomic effect.

Then there are natural taphonomic effects: the ability to identify butchering and processing sites requires very good to excellent bone preservation.

Over time bones tend to break down based on size and density: the smaller, lighter bones disappear first as a result of weathering; if a site has been too long exposed to the elements, you can't base your discussion on the presence or absence of particular bone types. Finally, there is the undeniable effect of dispersal of bone deposits by animal scavengers. Carnivores such as hyenas and dogs are drawn to organic deposits of bone, and they gnaw on or drag off pieces of bone that otherwise might be left behind.

Some archaeologists have attempted to overcome the taphonomic problems by looking at the differential density of bone fragments left behind--the relative density of tiny bone fragments can provide clues to the body part it came from--but, by and large, the shlep effect is very difficult to identify with confidence.

Although you don't see it discussed much in the literature any longer, except as citations, the schlep effect was a useful idea in which to discuss the human actions that go into field butchering.