Energetic yields of springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) marrow from long bones: A co-produced experimental study from the Boomplaas Cave field school

Abstract

Understanding the nutritional value of past hunter-gatherer prey is highly informative for archaeologists seeking to interpret human decision-making regarding hunting, processing, and meat consumption. Much zooarchaeological theory and methodology is devoted to this work, including applications of human behavioural ecology, utility indices, considerations of skeletal element representation, and discussions of transport decisions. However, there remain several prey species for which nutritional values have not been evaluated, including springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), which is present in several southern African archaeological assemblages. Here we present the energetic values (kilocalories) of yellow marrow in select long bones (humerii, radii, femora, and tibiae) from two springbok individuals. We butchered these animals and recorded the yellow marrow data as part of a student co-produced knapping and butchery experiment conducted during the 2025 Boomplaas Cave field season in the Western Cape province of South Africa. During this experiment, students and experts collaborated to collect and analyse data and write this paper. Our results show that the hindlimb values were greater than those of the long bones in the forelimb, and that the tibia had the highest energetic values among the elements we evaluated. Our work not only provides nutritional information for an animal for which no such prior data exist but also demonstrates how experimental archaeology can be used to embed students in the research process, creating a unique training environment that directly links their work to the archaeological record.