So all together, I have looked at a number of different kinds of evidence that all together gives a strong picture of the processing sequence for jackrabbits. The presence and absence of different body parts informs us that jackrabbits were brought whole to the site, with missing parts most likely the result of consumption. Fragmentation paints a picture of marrow processing and stewing, and articulation and burning are used to identify butchering and roasting.

In the end, I concluded that the occupants of Antelope Cave partitioned jackrabbits prior to roasting, much like we quarter our chickens today (and sometimes rabbits for those who have prepared them). Feet were removed first, probably at the same time as the fur. These were removed by snapping them from the lower limb, and this resulted in the lower part of the hindlimb and the complete lower forelimb being still attached to the foot often. This was not an exact process--sometimes the entire lower limb was pulled off, and sometimes it was snapped somewhere in the middle.

The rest of the lower forelimb was most frequently left attached to the upper limb if it was not completely removed. After roasting, the meat from the upper arm was consumed.

Burning was common at the farthest end of the lower hindlimb, including the ankle bones, while the hind foot was not burned. As with the front limb, the different rates of burning at the pelvis indicates that this limb was also removed and roasted. The lower back was also removed from the pelvis, and roasted as well.

After the feet, limbs, lower back, and head were removed, the Antelope Cave processors were left with the rib cage. These are missing in the assemblage, so we don’t know if it was roasted or not. But based on the presence of finely ground bone in the fossil human feces at the site and elsewhere, it is likely that they were mashing up the rib cage into a paste and consuming it.

After eating the meat, the people appeared to have targeted the nutritious benefits of the marrow in the limb bones. They did so by breaking these open and stewing them.