Zooarchaeological Analysis is here!
ARC is happy to announce new services from our in-house zooarchaeology lab! Our services are divided into a three-tier system to fit your specific project needs. All service packages include the raw specimen data (in Excel format) with report-ready summaries and tables. In addition, all specimens will be separated and bagged to meet curation standards.
Tier 1 – Perfect for Phase I survey projects! We will identify each specimen to class level (i.e., mammal, reptile, bird) and distinguish between human vs non-human bones. Additionally, we will provide basic element and taphonomic data for each specimen via an Excel spreadsheet and will analyze/interpret any worked bone.
| Service | Estimated Cost Range |
| 50 specimens and below | $1,300-1,700 |
| 51–250 specimens | $2,000-2,700 |
| 251–500 specimens | $2,600-3,500 |
| 501+ specimens | A proposal will be provided |
***Actual cost may vary based on specific project conditions.
Tier 2 – Everything from Tier 1, plus more! All specimens will be identified to the most specific taxonomic level possible with basic element identification and full taphonomic analysis.
| Service | Estimated Cost Range |
| 200 specimens and below | $2,300-3,100 |
| 201–500 specimens | $4,300-5,800 |
| 501+ specimens | A proposal will be provided |
***Actual cost may vary based on specific project conditions
Tier 3 – The whole shebang! All specimens will be identified to the most specific taxonomic level possible with full element identification and full taphonomic analysis. Skeletal element representation, subsistence patterns, and paleoenvironments will be addressed in a full report with inter and intra site contextualization.
Base Cost $3,800 – A proposal will be provided
If faunal specimens need to be washed, this service will be billed at a rate of $74.00/hour.
| Services (per site) | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
| Human vs nonhuman and class-level specimen identification | X | X | X |
| Basic element identification | X | X | X |
| Basic taphonomic analysis | X | X | X |
| Worked bone analysis & summary | X | X | X |
| Full taxonomic Identification | X | X | |
| Full taphonomic analysis | X | X | |
| Basic data of animal age per site | X | X | |
| Full taxonomic identification and inter/intra site contextual analysis | X | ||
| Full element identification and analysis on representation | X | ||
| Full taphonomic analysis with inter/intra site contextual analysis | X | ||
| Skeletal measurement data and analysis | X | ||
| Animal age and sex summary with inter/intra site contextual analysis | X | ||
| Subsistence analysis and interpretations | X | ||
| MNE and MNI calculations | X |
Table 1. Examples of provided information for the bone pictured below according to each tier and type of analysis.
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | |
| Taxonomic Identification | Mammal | Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) | Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer) |
| Element Identification | Incomplete humerus | Humerus, 25-50% complete | Complete distal end of a right humerus (25-50% of element present) |
| Taphonomic Analysis | Butchery marks present | Butchery marks present | The distal end of the humerus displays a spiral fracture, cut marks and a possible chop mark. Its location on the bone is suggestive of fileting. Additionally, the bone is generally unweathered, with root marks, which could suggest a rapid burial. |
FAQs
- What do you mean by “specimen?”
In the world of zooarchaeology, a specimen is a bone or bone fragment found at an archaeological site. A specimen can be a complete bone element (i.e. a complete tibia), an identified fragment (i.e. proximal end of a tibia), or an unidentified fragment (i.e. unidentified mammal bone). Essentially, each individual bone fragment will be considered a single specimen, unless multiple fragments can be refitted together. Refitted bones will be considered one specimen.
- What is the difference between class-level and full taxonomic identification?
In Tier 1, we will provide a basic identification to the class level. This will distinguish between mammal, fish, bird, amphibian, reptile, and undetermined. In Tiers 2 and 3, full taxonomic identification will place each specimen in the most specific identifiable taxonomic level (i.e., order, family, genus, or species). Body-size groups will be used for fragments that are not otherwise identifiable to the less specific family or genus levels. Any bone recorded as unidentified to the class level will be considered too small or damaged to macroscopically examine.
Example: Tier 1 – mammal; Tier 3 – Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer)
- What is the difference between basic element identification and full element identification?
Basic element identification will include the name of the bone (i.e., femur, humerus, mandible). Full element identification will identify the bone and specific part of the bone to obtain accurate skeletal-element profiles. It will include analysis of long bone articular ends, long bone shaft fragments with diagnostic zones or indicative characteristics such as shaft cross section morphology and thickness of the cortical bone and medullary cavity. This is ideal for highly fragmented assemblages and can shed light into which parts of the bones were utilized, best preserved, or brought to/from the site, answering questions about site function, activities, and site preservation. Additionally, this method allows for MNI and MNE calculations (the minimum numbers of individual animals and bones represented in an assemblage).
- What is Taphonomy and why should I care?
Taphonomy is the study of bone modifications occurring post-mortem, although we also record pathologies that occurred while an animal was alive. To understand these post-mortem changes, we look at each bone to see what happened to it after death. Such modifications span both human and non-human/natural agents, including but not limited to burning, butchery marks, root marks, animal gnawing, weathering, breakage, trampling. By recording these modifications, we gain information not only about human subsistence and the past natural environment, but also site formation processes.
- What is the difference between basic taphonomic analysis and full taphonomic analysis?
Basic taphonomic analysis will determine if the specimen is burned, note preservation (deteriorating/not deteriorating), and if there are signs of butchery (visible to the naked eye) such as cutmarks, conchoidal notches, or spiral fracturing. This is great for Phase I or II level projects. Full taphonomic analysis, which is included in Tier 3, will not only determine burning but also the degree of burning, which can shed light on cooking vs refuse burning activities. Evidence of butchery including cutmarks, scraping, conchoidal notches, flaking, spiral fractures, and crushing will be noted and described. Additionally, post-depositional events such as carnivore/rodent gnawing, weathering, trampling, abrasion, and root marks will be determined.
- I would like data collected for an attribute that is not described in your services (e.g., specific bone measurements or additional taphonomic variables). Can you include this in your analysis?
Yes! We can perform additional faunal analysis services not listed above. In these cases, a proposal will be provided indicating changes to the cost of services. Please note, we do not have capabilities for in-house molecular, isotopic, elemental, or spectroscopic analyses.
- What do you mean “curation ready”?
Analyzed faunal assemblages will be returned with specimens placed in 4 mil Plymor poly bags with associated catalog information according to the standards of the designated curation facility. We have extensive experience preparing materials for curation at the University of Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL) and the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University, and all assemblages will be returned in a state suitable for housing at these and other repositories.