In a recent study, Dr. Matthew S. Taylor presents a compelling reexamination of human bone artifacts unearthed at various prehistoric archaeological sites across South Texas. These modified bones, which were collected by ancient Native American peoples, have until now received little attention in terms of detailed analysis or cultural interpretation. But it seems they were used for different purposes, with some actually being turned into musical instruments.
Dr. Taylor, a specialist in the bioarchaeology of Texas, has long been fascinated by the region’s prehistoric past. His passion for archaeology was sparked early on by childhood visits to his grandparents' ranch in Central Texas, a property dotted with archaeological sites.
For his study, which has been published in the Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Dr. Taylor examined a set of 29 modified human bones curated at the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL) at the University of Texas at Austin. These bones were selected for detailed analysis under the ethical and legal framework of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). In accordance with this act, the Comanche Nation, the Caddo Nation, the Mescalero Tribe, and the Kiowa Tribe—all of whom have ancestral connections to the Gulf Coast—had previously been consulted. Since no federally recognized tribe laid claim to the remains, Taylor’s research was permitted to proceed.
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Different Theories but Few Definitive Answers
The bones in question primarily consisted of long bones, those of the arms and legs. Upon examination, the bones displayed numerous cutmarks, a clear sign they had been intentionally defleshed. After this initial treatment, they were dried and subsequently subjected to what is known as the groove-and-snap technique. This process involves carving a deep groove into the surface of the bone to weaken it, allowing it to be cleanly snapped in two.
While similar practices involving the modification of human remains have been documented elsewhere in the Americas, such behaviors in South Texas remain poorly understood. The findings provide some of the most detailed evidence yet of this complex and controversial aspect of prehistoric life along the Gulf Coast.
"Unfortunately, there is relatively little bioarchaeological work on Late Prehistoric peoples in South Texas," Taylor noted in an interview published by Phys.org. "Some historical accounts mention the processing of human bodies, but not in the way represented by the artifacts in my article. If nothing else, the human bone artifacts act as confirmation that early peoples on the Gulf Coast did not view human bodies, or the reduction of human remains, as taboo or off-limits."
Interpreting the purpose behind these modified bones opens up several possibilities. Among Native American cultures, the alteration of human remains has often been linked to ancestor veneration or the taking of war trophies. While both practices are recognized among other tribes in North America, specific evidence from South Texas is sparse.
One intriguing historical source is Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who became shipwrecked off the Gulf Coast in 1528. In his writings, Cabeza de Vaca describes how certain tribal communities honored their dead by cremating the bones of revered figures, mixing the ashes with water, and drinking the concoction. This unusual ritual may have been a form of spiritual communion or ancestor worship.
Bust of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, in Houston, Texas. (Ealmagro/CC BY-SA 4.0).
In contrast, the taking of war trophies—such as scalps or bone modifications—has been recorded in regions to the north and west, including among tribes of the southern Plains. Yet direct accounts of these customs along the South Texas coast are virtually nonexistent, leaving archaeologists to rely on the physical evidence left behind.
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Making Music with Bones
Among the most fascinating artifacts examined by Dr. Taylor is a single left humerus, catalogued as 41KL39. This bone had been carefully transformed into a musical instrument known as a rasp, or omichicahuaztli in the Nahua language. Such instruments, typically made from human or animal bones, are well known in Postclassic Mesoamerican cultures.
The South Texas rasp features 29 carved notches along with a decorative zigzag motif. Wear patterns on the notches indicate that the instrument was regularly used, producing sound by being rubbed with another object, likely a stick or bone. The resulting vibration would have created a rhythmic, droning tone, possibly for ceremonial or musical purposes.
Dr. Taylor sees this artifact as a potential cultural bridge between the prehistoric peoples of Texas and the civilizations of Postclassic Mexico.
"The amount of influence from post-Classic Mexico is uncertain; I think the hunter-gatherers of the Texas coast were aware of the civilizations to their south, but relatively few artifacts (from controlled excavations) have been found," he said.
Aztec bone musical instruments. (Gary Todd/Flickr/Public Domain).
He points to the idea of the Gilmore Corridor—a hypothesized trade route along the Gulf Coast that may have connected the Mexican highlands to the Southeastern United States—as a possible pathway for such cultural exchanges. "The similarities between the South Texas and Mexican artifact types is a factor inferring influence, but the musical rasp seems like an attempt at a copy (in my opinion). The one in Texas is made from a humerus, for example, while the ones from Mexico are generally made from femorae."
Through this meticulous study, Dr. Taylor has been able to learn quite a bit ahout the complex social and ritual practices of South Texas's ancient inhabitants. Whether used in mourning, ritual, music, or memory, these modified bones suggest that human remains played a far more active and symbolic role in prehistoric life than previously recognized.
Top Image: Left human humerus fashioned into a rasp. a) playing surface, b) geometric design.
Source: Matthew S. Taylor.
By Nathan Falde
