Rabbits and the bow: identifying the causes of diet diversity of the uinta phase of Southwest Wyoming

Many theoretical paradigms have utilized zooarchaeology to understand human–animal relations in the past, with one such paradigm being human behavioral ecology (HBE) which uses economic models to understand human dietary decision-making. While HBE analyses generally argue that the main influence on dietary decision-making is to utilize prey which provides the most caloric return, many variables can influence these decisions. In this paper, I utilize a sample of 166 faunal assemblages dating right before, during, and after the Uinta phase (∼1800–1000 years BP) of southwest Wyoming to understand the driving force behind dietary diversity during this period. I test hypotheses as to the driving force of Uinta-phase faunal assemblages by developing a model of dietary change during the Late Prehistoric period in the Wyoming Basin using HBE paradigms, focusing specifically on the introduction of the bow and paleo-climatic patterns. Overall, the introduction of the bow and climatic changes correlates to no change in the richness and evenness of faunal assemblages. However, the relative abundance of lagomorphs increases compared to larger game after the introduction of the bow.