CHAPTER SEVEN FAUNAL ANALYSIS

							 ROOSEVELT PLATFORM MOUND STUDY: A LABORATORY PLAN FOR SALADO RESEARCH



                                 CHAPTER SEVEN

                               FAUNAL ANALYSIS
                                       With Contributions by
                                      Katherine A. Spielmann

         The analysis of faunal material from the excavations is organized into general and more
specific levels. The Stage 1 analysis will consist of gathering information on the abundance of
animals used for meat (e.g., rabbits, deer). This general analysis will record information on counts of
bone, but will not involve the identification of elements not belonging to game animals. Game
procurement strategies will be emphasized and the collection will be stratified for more detailed Stage
2 analyses. These will include:

        1. Full identification of genera and species by contexts.

        2. Identification of butchering marks and burning.

        3. Evaluation of elements for selective butchering and/or distributions.

Processing of Faunal Bone

        Faunal bone will be bagged separately in the field. For each minimum provenience unit, one
specimen number will be assigned and all faunal bone from that unit will be bagged together. Should
bone from extremely small animals (e.g., rodents), or bone that has been reworked into tools (e.g.,
awls) be recovered, these may be placed in a small, labeled bag inside the larger bag. Small bag(s) are
given the same specimen number as the large bag. These small artifacts (tools) may be assigned
individual artifact numbers within each specimen number at the laboratory.

        The cleaning procedure for faunal bone is as follows. The bone is placed on a small mesh
screen so that loose soil will fall through. The bone is cleaned by using a soft dry brush and/or blunt
wooden tools. The bone is then rebagged in polyethylene bags of appropriate size.

          The analysts will number the pieces where appropriate and use smaller bags to separate the
collection by major faunal category. Numbering will be conducted with methods similar to those used
for lithics and ceramics. Permanent numbering (for site, specimen, and artifact) will be assigned to
the subset chosen for detailed analyses in Stage 2. Permanent ink with a sealant above and below
(Acryloid B72) will be used to apply these numbers.




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 ROOSEVELT PLATFORM MOUND STUDY: A LABORATORY PLAN FOR SALADO RESEARCH


                           SUBSAMPLE FOR BONE CHEMISTRY

The following procedures have been developed for use with the faunal collections for bone chemistry
studies. In order for these studies to be successful, the following procedures are followed in the field
and laboratory.


1) Field Recovery (a double layer screen is used for midden excavation)

    a) Screening: ¼” and 1/8” mesh: bag fraction from 1/8” mesh to be sorted in laboratory.

    b) Bag ¼” mesh fauna separately from other artifacts. Note screen size used on bag and on
       provenience-excavation form.

    c) Note volume of each provenience-excavation unit on form while in field (this is easier and
       more accurate to do in the field than later in the laboratory).

2) Field Laboratory

    a) DO NOT WASH THE BONE! Clean with dry bristle brushes and sharpened wooden
       dowels/bamboo to avoid unnecessary scratches on the bone.

    b) Sort through 1/8” fraction bagged in field. Bag bone separately from other artifacts. Note the
       screen size used on the bag and any accompanying documentation.

    c) Label identified bone. Identifiable bone that is too small to be labeled should be put in
       labeled gelatin capsules. The faunal research assistant will train laboratory personnel to
       recognize identifiable bone, and will periodically check bone that is categorized as
       unidentifiable to make sure identifiable bone is not missed. Specimens of lagomorphs and
       artiodactyls from ASU’s zooarchaeological laboratory will be provided to the field laboratory
       to assist in this and subsequent stages of processing.

    d) Count and weigh unidentifiable bone scrap from each provenience. Depending on the size of
       the identifiable sample, this scrap may or may not be analyzed further.

    e) Sort identifiable bone by element and species. The faunal research assistant will also train
       laboratory personnel in this aspect. Sorting vastly increases the efficiency of subsequent
       coding procedures, and also facilitates later studies of butchering patterns and animal
       sizes/sexing. The faunal research assistant will check over the sorted elements for accuracy
       before identification proceeds further.

        •     Elements from species that are not represented in the comparative collection are set aside
              for later consideration by ASU faunal staff.

3) ASU Zooarchaeology Laboratory

    a) Sorted bone will be taken to the ASU laboratory where the faunal research assistant and the
       faunal consultant will code each element using the attached coding key. This key has been
       used on a variety of other Southwestern faunal analyses (e.g., Gran Quivira, Abo Pueblo,
       Henderson Site), and will facilitate inter-site assemblage comparisons. (Note: this step could
       also be done in the field laboratory if there were trained personnel there to carry it out.)




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ROOSEVELT PLATFORM MOUND STUDY: A LABORATORY PLAN FOR SALADO RESEARCH


 b) Bone for which we do not have comparative specimens will be taken to other comparative
    collections or sent to other specialists for identification.

 c) Coded data is entered into the RPMS database and files will be analyzed using statistical
    programs. Analysis will focus on calculating NISPs and MNIs for each species represented
    in the collection, ratios of NISPs and MNIs (e.g., artiodactyl and lagomorph indices) and
    determining which body parts (elements) are represented from each species. These data will
    then be used to address research issues raised in the Diet and Subsistence chapter of the
    Research Design.




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                                     Bone Brushing
    Equipment:

             •    Acid-free paper for wrapping
             •    Soft brush
             •    Rubber gloves
             •    Bamboo stick
             •    Large and small label (acid-free paper)
             •    Tweezers
             •    Inventory/Tracking Form

    Cleaning Procedure:

    1. List bone specimen number by site and complex onto Inventory/Tracking Form.

    2. Remove vial or package containing bone from spec. bag,

    3. Remove bone from vial or package onto a lab paper for cleaning. Place vial in area to be
       reused.

    4. Brush bone using soft brush to remove dirt.

    5. When bone is brushed, place into small plastic bag, which has air holes or wrap in acid-free
       paper. On the plastic bag or acid-free paper write the site # and spec #.

    6. Fill out a bag stamp label with all the information contained on the spec bag.

    7. Return the plastic bag to the spec bag. On the bag write B-L (Brushed-Labeled).

    8. During the cleaning, if a bead, pendant, etc., is found, this is to be set aside and placed into the
       safe. Note on the master list by the spec #.

    9. Place the bags in numerical order by site.


    Inventory:

    1. Using a 5 ½” wide by 4 ½” long piece of paper enter the site #, box #, and B-L. (Enter spec #
       in numerical order).

    2. Copy this sheet of paper. The full sheet of paper goes into the master list book by site, box
       inventory section. The small piece of paper is taped to the end of the inventory storage box.

    3. Fold the spec bag with the information side out. Rubber band several bags together, if
       possible. These bags are placed in the inventory storage box.

    4. The inventory storage box is placed on the shelf in the site storage area.

    5. Future spec bags can be added to the inventory storage box. When this happens, update the
       spec list taped to the end of the box and the copy of same in the master list book.

    6. Using the Inventory/Tracking, update the main spec log, that the spec # has been cleaned.



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    ROOSEVELT PLATFORM MOUND STUDY: A LABORATORY PLAN FOR SALADO RESEARCH



         CODES FOR ANALYSIS OF MODIFIED BONE

ARTIFACT TYPE

1       awl
2       bead
3       pendant
4       knife/scraper
5       needle
6       other (specify)


BURNED
0    no
1    yes


UTILIZATION

0       no
1       polished
2       striations
3       drilled
4       grooved
5       other (specify)

LENGTH (mm)

WIDTH (mm)

THICKNESS (mm)




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