Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones: A Manual

230 Pages·2013·24.83 MB·English

by  April M. Beisaw

Identifying
and Interpreting
Animal Bones
number eighteen
texas a&m university anthropology series
D. Gentry Steele, General Editor
series advisory board
William Irons Erik Trinkaus
Conrad Kottak Michael R. Waters
James F. O’Connell Patty Jo Watson
Harry J. Shafer
A list of titles in this series is available at the back of the book.

Identifying
and Interpreting
Animal Bones
a manual
April M. Beisaw
texas a&m university press
College Station
Copyright © 2013 by April M. Beisaw
Manufactured in China by Everbest Printing Co., through FCI Print Group
All rights reserved
First edition
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/N ISO Z39.48-1992.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beisaw, April M.
Identifying and interpreting animal bones : a manual / April M. Beisaw.—1st ed.
p. cm. — (Texas A&M University anthropology series ; no. 18)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-62349-026-3 (fl exbound (with fl aps) : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-62349-082-9 (e-b ook)
1. Animal remains (Archaeology)—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Animal remains
(Archaeology)—Identifi cation—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Archaeological
assemblages—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4. Taphonomy—Handbooks, manuals, etc.
5. Archaeological surveying—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 6. Excavations (Archaeology)—
Recording—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Series: Texas A&M University
anthropology series ; no. 18.
CC79.5.A5B44 2013
930.1′0285—dc23
2013017719
Acknowledgments
I learned how to analyze and interpret animal bones from a
variety of people, which is why my approach does not follow one
school of thought. I was introduced to zooarchaeology while
an undergraduate at Rutgers University. Robert Blumenschine
and his graduate students provided formal instruction on
African fauna. I picked up techniques for analyzing primates
from Daniel Lieberman and for North American fauna from
Cregg Madrigal and Sal Capaldo. Several faunal analysts
served as instructors and guest lecturers at my fi eld school
on San Clemente Island, California. There I learned about
marine species. While I was a graduate student at Binghamton
University, Peter Stahl served as my MA and PhD advisor and
taught me how to use animal bone data in creative ways while
acknowledging its limitations. Philip Rightmire reinforced my
knowledge of primate skeletal anatomy and Dawnie Steadman
taught me the techniques specifi c to forensic anthropology.
Various organizations have provided me with opportunities to
analyze bones from archaeological sites across North America.
Jill R. Hughes and David Zinn provided technical assistance
with this manuscript. Several anonymous reviewers provided
constructive feedback. My family, including my shipmates,
provided me with the time and space to write.
vii

Identifying
and Interpreting
Animal Bones

Contents
Acknowledgments vii
1. introduction 1
2. preparing your assemblage 7
Cleaning Bones 8
Sorting Bones 10
Mending Fresh Breaks 12
3. what animal is it? 17
Class: Mammal, Fish, Bird, Amphibian, or Reptile? 18
Order and Family: A Question of Functional Morphology 24
Mammal Orders 28
Fish Orders 33
Bird Orders 35
Amphibian Orders 37
Reptile Orders 37
Genus and Species: Environment and Economy 40
4. what bone is it? 47
Skulls and Teeth 54
Vertebrae and Ribs 59
Vertebrae 59
Ribs 68
Pelvic and Shoulder Girdles 70
Pelvic Girdle 71
Shoulder Girdle 75
Upper Limbs 79
Lower Limbs 88
Hands and Feet (Manus and Pes) 94
Siding Bone 98
Determining Sex and Age 99