HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT MAYA IN THE ...

29important element in the estimation of MNIs is the general assumption that a left andright humerus could derive from the same individual. Several other methods must beconsidered in the estimation of the most accurate MNI estimates. This first method wasoriginally proposed by T.E. White, whereby “the higher of the left- and right-side countsis then taken as the smallest number of individual animals which could account for thesample: the minimum number of individuals” (O’Connor 2000:59). This is the basictechnique I used in the above example. An alternative method involves the summationof the total number of specimens and dividing by two (Klein and Cruz-Uribe 1984). Thelast technique entails the “matching” of skeletal elements, whereby size, sex, and/or agecriteria are used to determine the possibility of two or more skeletal elements derivingfrom the same individual (Klein and Cruz-Uribe 1984). O’Connor (2000:59) states that“most MNI calculations attempt to take account of pairs, requiring efforts to match leftandright-side specimens until the analyst is satisfied that only specimens which derivedfrom the same individual have been paired up…” I used a modified version of this lastmethod in my analysis of the skeletal deposits from each of the caves, as well as a moregeneral approach.Many skeletal assemblages are composed of fragmentary elements. Thisrepresents a serious issue that must be considered when calculating MNIs. According toKlein and Cruz-Uribe (1984), skeletal fragments may be ignored, treated as completebones, or recorded as fractions of complete bones. With the third option, fragments of askeletal part are summed up and added to the number of complete bones. For example,three complete tibiae, half a tibia, and another third of a tibia would give a value of 3.83.