Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analysis of Cut Marks for Archaeological Faunal Collections

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Current Zooarchaeology: New and Ongoing Approaches" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Within zooarchaeological discourse, a central theme concerning taphonomic studies is the observation and analysis of cut marks on faunal specimens. Of particular importance is the maintenance and consistency of methodological approaches in applying archaeological inferences to the diagnostic surface modifications on bones. Despite calls for standardization, the observational criteria for cut marks that analysts record (e.g., length, orientation, aspect location, element, species, frequency) are often limited to dissociated numerical tables and hand-drawn templates. Moreover, while the current global pandemic has rendered physical access to collections difficult, it has encouraged the exploration of virtual alternatives for artifact analysis. Advances in geographical software contribute to this discussion by offering adaptable solutions for statistical and visual analyses, as well as record-keeping. Although geographic information systems (GIS) have predominantly been utilized for intersite and intrasite spatial analysis, recent studies have demonstrated the unorthodox capabilities of this software in the taphonomic analysis of individual artifacts, especially archaeofauna. This project aims to contribute to this discussion by exploring the current potential of GIS as an analytical tool for the study of cut marks on faunal specimens from archaeological collections; this will be accomplished through a methodological workflow that utilizes experimental faunal specimens and ArcGIS.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Current Zooarchaeology: New and Ongoing Approaches

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32091