The  Presidio Reál  de San Carlos de Monterey  was the commanding  military institution  of  the  Californias from  circa  1770  through  1840.  Significant Spanish  colonial era architectural, material cultural, and faunal remains were  recovered  during  the  course  of  archaeological  field  investigations undertaken between 2006 and 2008 by Dr. Ruben Mendoza and the field crews  of  the  California State University,  Monterey  Bay. Faunal  remains, particularly  those  of  Bos  taurus,  Sus  scrofa,  Ovis aries,  Capra  a. hircus, and Gallus gallus (from herein referred to as cow or cattle, pig, sheep, and chicken) were recovered in significant quantities.  Given the value of faunal remains for  assessing butchery practices, and thereby dietary preferences in human populations, this paper  examines those cultural  modifications or  cutmark and  consumption  patterns in evidence  from the collections in question.  In  order to  properly assess the  value of said  collections, an experimental archaeology was undertaken in order to attempt replication of  those  cutmarks  noted  from  the  collections  of  the  Royal Presidio  of Monterey  for the  purposes  of identifying  both butchering patterns  and dietary  preferences.The investigation of faunal assemblages from other Alta California Spanish colonial and Mission era (circa 1769-1834) sites are in turn reviewed for their implications at the Royal Presidio of Monterey. 

The experimental archaeology undertaken for this review sought to simulate butchery patterns and modifications observed on the faunal remains from the  Royal  Presidio  collection.  Essential  to  this  experiment  were  fresh cuts of beef  and pork  with the skeletal elements intact, including that of a rib rack and, sections of a limb or shank. It should  be noted that those specimens utilized constitute relatively accurate examples of food sources for the  presidial soldiers and  Native Californian  laborers at  the Presidio of  Monterey,  as determined from  those  faunal  elements  examinedfor this  study.  John  Grafton,  who  specializes  in Spanish colonial  ironwork techniques  and  traditions,  recreated  Spanish  Colonial  era  metal  tools, including knives/cleavers, machetes, saws, axes, and other tools utilized in this study.