Croxton Site Faunal Assemblage: Pre- and Post-Deposition Disturbance Analysis

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The pre- and post-depositional processes that impacted the faunal assemblage associated with the Ipiutak component at the Croxton site, Alaska, have not been adequately studied/documented (see Gerlach 1989). This study focuses not only on the pre- and post-depositional disturbances that may have occurred, but also on how the burial environment may have played a role in the preservation of the bones. The underlying causes of the staining present on the bones, the differential levels of weathering, and the presence of warping were analyzed. The potential effects of freeze/thaw processes and the characteristics of the sediment and its associated pH level were tested as well. The results indicate that the previous interpretations of the soil and its effects on the faunal assemblage are well supported, and that the high level of preservation and the presence of warping were most likely caused by characteristics of the surrounding soil. However, the cause behind the staining remains unresolved and requires further testing.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23594