PREFACE

F. Routine examination of deer crania for evidence of shed or unshed antlersG. Analysis of the presence or absence of various species of migratory birdsH. Examination of the proportion of immature to mature lagomorphsI. Routine analysis of incremental banding in mollusks and determination of oxygen isotope ratiosof individual bands5. How can analysis of a faunal assemblage be refined to address questions about individual versuscommunal procurement?Data NeedsA. Routine determination and reporting of the proportions of animals in various age classesB. Analysis of those data for reflection of non-selective communal kills (animals occur in variousage classes expected in a living population) or selective individual kills (age profiles are biasedtoward prime or older adults)6. How can analysis of a faunal assemblage be refined to address questions about hunting pressure?Data NeedsA. Trends in body size (combined with evidence from pollen, wood charcoal, etc.)Field MethodsFrom FRACAG (n.d.: 59–60)1. The bulk of the faunal remains are anticipated to be encountered and recovered during the course ofroutine excavation procedures. These materials should be segregated from other recovered culturaldebris (e.g., lithics, ceramics) and packaged separately. Packaging should be sufficient to protect thefaunal remains from breakage and mold or mildew. Bone artifacts or other modified faunal remainsshould be segregated and packaged as a separate class of archaeological remains.2. Because some faunal remains may represent natural intrusions into cultural deposits, excavators mustbe cognizant of, and document, the context of discovery. That is, care must be taken to note whenand where bioturbation or other natural processes have, or may have, affected the occurrence offaunal remains. These would include situations where faunal materials are recovered from krotavena(filled-in rodent burrows), badger burrows, other contexts where they may represent naturalintrusions (e.g., in structure walls or in food storage facilities) and situations where the faunalremains may be contained in postoccupational fill.3. Special recovery methods should be incorporated into standard excavation procedures where theprovenience may be conducive to the occurrence or preservation of various classes of faunal remains.These proveniences should minimally include hearth features, the area immediately surroundinghearth features (i.e., within a 1 m radius), storage facilities, the corners of rooms, and suspected"domesticated" fowl confinement areas. Recovery techniques and rationale may vary from site tosite and context to context4. When discovered, animal burials should be exposed, mapped, photographed, and removed andpackaged as a unit. The context of discovery should be thoroughly documented along withassociated artifacts.6-51