Key Factors Impacting the Efficacy of Canine Resources on Archaeological Surveys

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Canine Resources for the Archaeologist" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Canine resources, used alone or as part of a multidisciplinary approach, are proven to be effective at assisting archaeologists in locating human remains. Just as geophysical instruments and analysts have limitations and factors that impact their success on surveys, so do canine teams. This paper will examine the key factors that determine successful outcomes for archaeologists utilizing canine resources as part of their survey methodology. These factors include the appropriate uses of canine(s), selection of qualified canine team(s), site safety, environment, weather, age of remains, mortuary practice and taphonomy, and the condition of the canine team. Scenarios will be presented and the criteria applied in order to determine if a canine resource is likely to be successful, may be successful, or is unlikely to be successful.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Canine Resources for the Archaeologist   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36586.0