PREFACE

5. The determination to wash the faunal remains prior to submission to the analyst should be contingenton the condition of the specimens, the amount of adhering soil and distance and packagingrequirements. Scrubbing should be minimized. Washing will be necessary for any analytic methodsrequiring weight.Analytical RequirementsFrom FRACAG (n.d.:60–61)The following are considered essential attributes that should be documented by the faunal analyst for eachfaunal specimen:1. Identify type of faunal material (e.g., bone, shell, feather).2. Identify the animal represented by the faunal specimen. This should be as specific as possibleand should be ordered by taxonomic classification. That is, when possible species (or subspecies)should be identified. Where species identification is not possible the identification should bemade, in descending order, to genus, family, order or class. For those remains that cannot beidentified, an effort should be made to identify the relative size and kind of organism (e.g., largemammal).3. Identify the element or anatomical part represented. Again, this should be as specific as possibleand include left or right designations for paired elements, location of element relative to others ina serial arrangement (e.g., third thoracic vertebra). If the specific element cannot be identified, anattempt should be made to identify the type of element (e.g., long bone, vertebra, cranialelement).4. Identify the portion of the element represented (e.g., entire element, proximal articular end,medial shaft, lateral process, splinter, chip).5. Identify the natural condition of the specimen. That is, does the specimen appear fresh,weathered or desiccated, rotted or deteriorated, crushed or shattered?6. Identify any modification evident on the specimen that may have resulted from human agency orbe indicative of disruptive post-discard agents. That is, is the item burned, are butchering marksor impact scars visible, is spiral - fracturing or breakage when green evident, is modification fortool use or use wear evident, is there evidence for non-human modification (i.e., rodent orcarnivore gnawing or damage)?Apropos to the identification of modification is the need for bone tools and other modified faunalspecimens to be included in the analysis of unmodified faunal remains. The modified remains are asmuch a part of the faunal assemblage of a site as the unmodified remains and should be included in thegeneral faunal analysis. Modified faunal remains should, however, be further analyzed as artifacts andaccorded the same degree of analysis as other artifact classes (e.g., lithics, ceramics). Also, the individualperforming the faunal analysis may not be proficient in the analysis of bone tools or other modified faunalremains and a separate analysis of these items may be necessary.In addition to specific attribute identification, when possible, the age and sex of the animal should benoted. Age, particularly when based on tooth eruption in larger mammals (e.g., artiodactyls), can be animportant source of seasonality information or, in the case of domesticated turkeys, can be a source ofinformation on dietary selection and animal maintenance. Also, because the nutritional potential of maleand female animals (particularly the larger mammals like deer or elk) can vary, sexing individuals cancontribute to an understanding of hunting strategies and seasonality.6-52