Comparing Multiple Methods of Fish Size Estimation Using Sheepshead Remains from New Orleans, Louisiana

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Size estimation of archaeological fishes has been employed by zooarchaeologists to address a number of topics, including past fishing methods, commodification of fishes, and overfishing. Although the development of regression formulae describing the relationship between fish length and skeletal measurements is the most common method employed by zooarchaeologists, direct comparison of archaeological fish remains to bones of modern fishes of known sizes has also been used. In this poster, we compare these two methods using modern sheepshead skeletons collected from southeast Louisiana and archaeological sheepshead remains from sites in New Orleans, Louisiana. We note relative advantages and disadvantages of each method, including the upfront time costs incurred while building regression formulae, the need that particular skeletal landmarks be present, and limitations caused by broken or pathological comparative specimens. We also present the first regression formulae for size estimation of sheepshead, which should be useful in coastal archaeological contexts throughout the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. Ultimately, we suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to size estimation, but rather that the most appropriate method for any given project should be determined by factors including project timeline, skeletal part representation, and relative fragmentation rate of fish remains at a site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39617.0