| ZAT Consulting offers zooarchaeological and
taphonomic analysis services for assemblages recovered from both prehistoric
and historic archaeological sites in the continental United Sates. All
analysis is overseen by April M. Beisaw, Ph.D., RPA.
Methodology
Upon receiving a faunal collection, an initial bag check serves to inventory
the collection and to provide a preliminary assessment. Depending on the size of the assemblage, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or Access
database is then customized to serve as the catalog for the faunal collection.
Once completed, an electronic copy of the faunal catalog is provided
along with a written report that details the methods used and describes the assemblage.
Data Collection
Data collection proceedes by the lot number assigned by the excavators
and represents the context from which a subset of material was obtained.
The lot number is therefore retained in the faunal catalog however, as
each lot number can contain any number of individual faunal remains, a
Faunal Catalog (FC) number is assigned by the analyst to identify smaller
groups of material or individual fragments. In general, all bone fragments
from one lot whose FC entry would be identical are inventoried under one
FC number with an appropriately augmented count.
Taxonomic and Species Identification
Minimally, each FC entry is identified to the class level. As this level
of distinction is possible on virtually every bone fragment, regardless
of size, it is the first level of taxonomic analysis undertaken. Species
level identification, unless resulting from a complete or near complete
adult skeletal element, are always tentative. For certain elements, such
as ribs, species level identification is highly problematic and therefore
the use of size groups usually represents the level of analysis that is
possible. Size groups are also used for bone fragments that are not otherwise
identifiable to the less specific family or genus levels.
Element and Side Identification
In most cases, determining the skeletal element is necessary before taxonomic
identification, beyond the class level, is possible. Once the element
has been identified, a determination of the side it represents, left or
right, aides in the assessment of the relative completeness of an individual
and in counts of the minimum numbers of individuals (MNI) present in the
assemblage. Several reference diagrams are provided in the final report
to illustrate the elements of those animal classes that are identified
in the collection.
Age and Sex Determination
If a skeletal element is identified to the species level, assessing the
age at death and sex of an individual animal can proceed. A variety of
charts and tables, which are based on known populations of specific species,
are consulted (e.g. Silver 1970). As a variety or environmental and cultural
factors can skew these results, age determinations are to be considered
estimation, within a range.
Articulation and Completeness Description
To aid in quantification of an assemblage, it is important to maintain
a record of the completeness of cataloged specimens. Similarly, retaining
data regarding which, if any, articulation is present allows for assessment
of the certainty of age and side determinations as well as butchery patterns.
Butchery Marks
Due to the variety of data that needs to be collected for a thorough analysis
of butchery marks, the standard faunal catalog contains only a general
presence/absence field for butchery marks. Some additional comments, such
as number of surfaces cut and notes on the presence of other cut marks,
are stored in the comments field.
Comments and Counts
A comment field is included in the faunal database for three reasons:
1. to further describe the specimen(s) of a specific FC, 2. to aid in
the assessment of the certainty and value of the description(s), 3. to
guide secondary analyses. It should be noted that a count field for each
FC is also included in the database, which, in general, should equal one.
In cases where multiple mend-able fragments were cataloged, the count
equals one. When multiple similar fragments whose FC entry would not have
differed from each other where encountered in a given lot, one FC is assigned
to the bone group and the count field was used to quantify the number
of bone fragments represented by the group.
Data Analysis
Data analysis varies with assemblages and research questions but generally
proceedes along three lines:1. the zooarchaeological quantification of
the assemblage, 2. the utilization of database queries to assess patterns,
3. taphonomic analysis of the assemblage.
Database Queries
In general, due to the ease with which queries can be developed and executed
in MS Access, only those queries which the analyst believes assists in
the faunal analysis of the collection are pre-programmed.
Zooarchaeological Quantification
Number of Identifiable Specimens (NISP), also termed Total Number of Fragments
(TNF), calculations are used to estimate relative abundance of species.
Recent research has shown that NISP calculations are taphonomically erroneous
and generally misleading. However, given NISP''s past popularity, calculations
using this method are provided for the basis of comparison with previously
analyzed assemblages. A degree of mending of bone fragments with recent
breaks is undertaken to strengthen the usefulness of the TNF data for
the assemblage. There are many additional calculations for describing
faunal assemblages, such as Minimal Animal Unit (MAU), Minimum Number
of Elements (MNE), and Weighted Abundance of Elements (WAE). These will
be applied where applicable or upon request.
Taphonomic Analysis
Feature Interpretations and Depositional Patterns
Review of the contexts for certain subsets of the faunal assemblage will
be undertaken to assess the site formation processes of the archaeological
site. In particular, evidence of natural and/or cultural redeposition
will be evaluated. Where applicable, suggestions for secondary artifact
or ecofact analysis, which would aid in this assessment, will be made.
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April
M. Beisaw, Ph.D., RPA
Expertise: North
American vertebrate species identification, taphonomic analysis
Education:
2007 Ph.D. Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
1998 M.A. Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
1996 B.A. Anthropology/Chemistry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick,
NJ
Summary:
Dr. Beisaw is an independent zooarchaeologist with 13 years of
experience conducting faunal analysis of prehistoric and historic
assemblages from across the United States. Past clients have included environmental
firms and academic research projects and cultural resource management
companies.
Relevant Previous Experience:
-Analyzed over 150,000 specimens for a pipeline project that spanned Texas to California
-Completed dissertation on the osteoarchaeology of a prehistoric site in New York state that included 68,000 animal specimens and over 100 sets of human remains
Sample consulting projects:
-Faunal Analysis of Middle to Late Woodland Campsite, Marinette,
Wisconsin. Conducted a preliminary analysis of the faunal assemblage
recovered from a prehistoric campsite situated along Green Bay
in Wisconsin. Analysis was undertaken as part of an American University
dissertation project for Nathan Lowrey. The assemblage consisted
of highly fragmentary and mainly calcined remains of mammal species.
-Faunal Analysis of the Thomas Luckey Site, Ashland, New York.
Conducted a complete faunal analysis for the on-going Phase III
excavations of a pre-Iroquois (Owasco) prehistoric site. The Thomas/Luckey
is located along the Chemung River in central upstate New York.
The assemblage consisted of a variety of mammals, fish, and bird
and includes a significant amount of calcined bone. Analysis included
material recovered from standard excavation, flotation and column
samples. Also conducted numerous taphonomy and diagenesis experiments
in order to evaluate the impact of cultural processes (such as
butchery methods and cooking) on the differential decomposition
of mammals, fish, and bird.
-Faunal Analysis of Belair Mansion (18PR135), Bowie, Maryland.
Conducted faunal and taphonomic analysis of the assemblage recovered
from the 1994 excavations of a historic site located along the
Patuxent River in Bowie, Maryland. Special attention was paid
to identifying indigenous and non-indigenous wild game in the
assemblage as part of an effort to reconstruct the sport hunting
practices that took place on the mansion grounds. For James G.
Gibb Archaeological Consultant.
-Faunal Analysis of the Berwind Site (5LA2175), Trinidad, Colorado.
Conducted faunal and taphonomic analysis of a historic mining
town located in Trinidad, Colorado. Special attention was placed
on the identification of indigenous wild animal remains, which
may represent subsistence hunting during economic hardship. For
the Archaeology of Domestic Labor and The Colorado Coal Field
War Projects.
-The Dunn Site (18AP84). Principal investigator and faunal analyst
for the Phase I/II excavations of a multi-component site, located
in downtown Annapolis, Maryland. Conducing ongoing research into
consumer choice at the site through the faunal assemblage with
special attention to the gar fish (Lepisosteus) and turtle (Terrapene)
remains. For Andrew Garte & Associates Inc. and Herman Dunn
Real Estate.
-Rumney’s Tavern (18AN48) Faunal Analysis. Faunal analyst
and laboratory director for the 1998 and 1999 excavations of a
10-ft diameter colonial cellar feature. Conducted in depth faunal,
taphonomic, and microstratigraphic analysis of the cellar feature
and its entire assemblage. Identified a key faunal ecofact within
the feature that allowed for a reconstruction of its formation
processes. For The Lost Towns of Anne Arundel Project.
-The Skeletal Pathology of a Recent Deer. Conducted forensic analysis
of a deer carcass from the Navy’s Greenbury Point Nature
Preserve located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. For the U.S.
Navy Environmental Division, Annapolis.
-Grave Re-location Project. Assisted with the analysis of human
remains recovered from the excavation of a historic church cemetery
located in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey. The remains were
subsequently reburied at new locations within the cemetery. For
Rutgers University.
-Grave Re-location Project. Assisted, on behalf of the City Archaeologist,
with the emergency recovery of human remains encountered during
construction adjacent to the Queen Anne’s church located
in downtown Annapolis, Maryland. The remains were subsequently
reburied at new locations within another cemetery associated with
the church. Analysis performed by the Louis Berger Group.
-The Patapsco Female Institute. Faunal analyst on a proposal submitted
to the Maryland Historical Trust in January 2002 to analyze the
1988 and 1993 assemblages excavated from the historic educational
campus located in Ellicott City, Maryland. For James G. Gibb Archaeological
Consultant.
-Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Cortez, CO. Conducted limited
faunal analysis for a variety of prehistoric pueblo sites located
in southwestern Colorado. Assisted with the identification of
human remains recovered from the prehistoric Shields Pueblo site
near Cortez, Colorado.
-The Eel Point Site, Assisted with the limited faunal analysis
of remains from the deeply stratified prehistoric site located
on San Clemente Island, in the Channel Islands of California.
For California State University, Northridge.
-The Oella School Site (18BA475), Conducted faunal and general
artifact analysis of the assemblage recovered from a historic
schoolhouse site located near Baltimore, Maryland. For Andrew
Garte & Associates Inc. and The Oella Company. |
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