On the subsistence practices of the Shi’erqiao Culture: focused on zooarchaeology

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunyu He
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Subsistence Strategies ◽  
Chengdu Plain ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Archaeological Cultures ◽  
Number Of Individuals

AbstractThrough the analyses of the number of identified specimens (NISP), minimum number of individuals (MNI) and estimation of meat available from the animal remains unearthed from representative sites of the Chengdu Plain Type and Eastern Chongqing Type of the Shi’erqiao Culture, this paper discusses the subsistence strategy of this culture. The results show that the meat resources of the Chengdu Plain Type were mainly domesticated animals, while those of the Eastern Chongqing Type were mainly hunted animals. This paper draws the conclusion that in the early stage of human civilization, the subsistence strategies of different types of the same archaeological culture might be different, while those of different archaeological cultures might be similar; the factors influencing the subsistence strategies are mainly the natural environment, regional economic traditions, and population pressures.

On the Methodology of Faunal Analysis

1973 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald K. Grayson
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Faunal Analysis ◽  
Reliable Analysis ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Minimum Numbers ◽  
Faunal Studies ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Proper Unit

AbstractAlthough faunal analysis has a long history in archaeological studies, little emphasis has been placed upon the development of methodologies which would allow the valid and reliable analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites. The most crucial decision which a faunal analyst must make as regards the statistical manipulation of his data concerns the proper unit to use in that manipulation. The 2 units which seem to have gained most popularity in faunal studies are discussed, as are the generally non-comparable results which stem from the various ways in which 1 of these units—the minimum number of individuals—has been applied. Finally, suggestions for the standardization of the use of minimum numbers in faunal analysis are made.

scholarly journals Non-scientific Archaeological Recovery of Human Remains from an Ancient Well in India

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Sehrawat ◽  
R. K. Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Forensic Archaeology ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Forensic archaeology is a scientific discipline that can expose past crime(s) against humanity by recovering the bodies of victims and meticulously documenting any proof of torture, trauma or human rights violations. Archaeological recovery of human remains deposited in pre-existing structures or features such as wells, potholes, natural ravines, roadside trenches, sewage systems etc., have been reported from many sites worldwide. In April, 2014, thousands of human bones, teeth as well as a number of personal effects including coins, medals and beaded armbands were unscientifically excavated from a well—presumably dating from the nineteenth century—located under a religious structure in the heart a North Indian town. Without the assistance of scientific expertise or local administration, locals excavated the remains to verify whether the well containing human bones was a result of an event which had been documented in the written records. The unscientific excavation by locals with no formal qualifications in archaeology or anthropology, resulted in the enhanced damage and commingling of human remains limiting information on the minimum number of individuals, age-at-death, sex, pathological conditions, trauma, etc. which may have assisted in identification and a stronger corroboration with the historical records. This paper aims to emphasize that if scientific protocols had been followed—including the participation of a multidisciplinary excavation team with experts from diverse scientific disciplines like forensic archaeology, anthropology, geology, skeletal biology, history, forensic medicine etc.—data and context would have been greatly enhanced and information may have been obtained about the deceased individuals and whether they were the victims of crimes dating to the nineteenth century.

scholarly journals Osteoarkeologi Rangka Manusia Situs Leang Kado’4, Maros, Sulawesi Selatan

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-160
Author(s):  
Fakhri Fakhri ◽  
Delta Bayu Murti Murti ◽  
Budianto Hakim Hakim ◽  
Muhammad Nur Nur ◽  
Akin Duli Duli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Karst Area ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Analytical Process ◽  
South Sulawesi ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Pembahasan utama dalam penelitian ini adalah uraian osteoarkeologis terkait temuan rangka manusia situs prasejarah Leang Kado‘ 4 di kawasan karst Simbang, Maros, Sulawesi Selatan. Sebagai bagian dari kajian bioarkeologi, uraian ini meliputi penentuan jenis kelamin, usia kematian, rata-rata tinggi badan, afinitas ras, dan jumlah individu minimal yang ada di Situs Leang Kado‘ 4 sebagai bagian aktivitas penguburan. Metode penelitian menerapkan langkah kerja analisis dalam kajian bioarkeologi yang juga diterapkan dalam disiplin antropologi ragawi. Langkah kerja analisis tersebut, meliputi: identifikasi, pengukuran, komparasi, dan penghitungan estimasi jumlah individu minimal dalam sebuah himpunan data.  Penelitian ini berkesimpulan bahwa sisa rangka manusia di situs Leang Kado‘ 4 memiliki kesamaan dengan dua jenis ras manusia, yaitu ras populasi Sahul-Pacific dikenal pula sebagai Australo-Papuan atau Australomelanesoid dan ras populasi Asia atau Mongoloid. Hadirnya data ini diharapkan menjadi salah satu bahan pertimbangan rekomendasi kebijakan berwawasan pembangunan karakter budaya bangsa yang mengedepankan kebhinekaan asal usul dengan data temuan rangka manusia.    This research aims to provide an osteoarchaeological analysis of the human skeletons found at the prehistoric site of Leang Kado‘ 4 in Simbang karst area, Maros, South Sulawesi. As a part of bioarchaeological studies, the analysis included the determination of sex, age at death, average height, racial affinity, and the minimum number of individuals at the site as part of the burial activities. The research employed the analytical process that is commonly carried out in bioarchaeological and physical anthropological studies. The analytical process consists of identification, measurement, comparison, and estimation of the minimum number of individuals in a data set.  It is concluded that the human skeletal remains at Leang Kado‘ 4 site share several similarities with two human races, i.e. Sahul-Pacific race also known as Australo-Papuan or Australomelanesoid and Asian or Mongoloid race. It is expected that all this data can be used as a base for developing policies oriented to the development of the national character and culture by emphisizing the diversity of the people’s origins, which is supported by data on human skeletal remains.

NISP vs. MNI in Quantification of Body-Part Representation

1993 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Marshall ◽  
Tom Pilgram
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Density ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Neolithic Site ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Pastoral Neolithic ◽  
Number Of Individuals

In an effort to understand the relative advantages and drawbacks of the minimum number of individuals (MNI) and number of identifiable specimens (NISP) for quantifying body-part representation in faunas from archaeological sites, we analyzed relations among NISP, MNI, fragmentation, and bulk density in the fauna from Ngamuriak, a Kenyan pastoral Neolithic site. Our findings suggest that MNI is at least as sensitive as NISP to effects of fragmentation. While MNI decreases with increasing fragmentation, NISP moves in two directions with fragmentation, increasing at low levels of fragmentation and decreasing at high levels of fragmentation. In addition, MNI appears more sensitive than NISP to the relative identifiability of different body parts. We believe MNI may be a less representative descriptor of relative element frequency than NISP in highly fragmented assemblages.

Excavated Fish Vertebrae as Predictors in Bioarchaeological Research

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Rojo
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Morphometric Study ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Original Size ◽  
Number Of Individuals

A sample of fifty-eight fish vertebrae from an archaeological site (Gooseberry Point, Campobello Island, N.B. Canada), has been identified as belonging to Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua). From their morphometric study, it was possible to conclude the original size of the fish, their age, the seasonality of the campsite and the minimum number of individuals represented by the sample. The ages estimated from reading the vertebral rings varied from five to ten years. Some showed the growth of the “summer” in which they were caught, but many didn't have the growth-of-the-year suggesting a winter fishing activity. These estimates, along with the calculated live total length (from 523–961 mm) and the total weight (from 1,126–7,522 g) indicate that the fish utilized in the site were of a large size. This study used a number of methods to calculate MNIs which resulted in variance ranging from two to thirteen individuals.

Minimum Numbers and Sample Size in Vertebrate Faunal Analysis

1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald K. Grayson
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Faunal Analysis ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Minimum Numbers ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
The Relationship

Of the measures currently available for quantifying the abundance of taxa within archaeological and paleontological vertebrate faunas, the minimum number of individuals per taxon is most frequently employed. This paper explores the relationship between the minimum number of individuals (MNI) calculated for a given taxon and the number of specimens (E) from which these values were calculated. Several approaches for controlling for the complex interrelationships between MNI and E are advanced and discussed.

THE HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE MOON PYRAMID, TEOTIHUACAN

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Spence ◽  
Grégory Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Cranial Modification ◽  
Number Of Individuals

AbstractBeginning with Building 4, each new version of the Moon Pyramid in Teotihuacan was initiated with a major sacrificial event. These events invariably included human victims, males ranging in age from about 14 to 60 or more years (Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) = 37). Many display cranial modification and dental decoration. In the earliest offering, Burial 2, the lone human was merely one element in a complex tableau. In subsequent sacrifices, the human victims increased in number and became a major focus of the event. There was also a growing dichotomy among them, with numbers of decapitated victims being included in the sacrifices. Skeletal elements from the pyramid fill suggest still other rituals involving human crania (MNI = 11), but the context of these is not yet clear.

Weighing vs. Counting Shellfish Remains: A Comment on Mason, Peterson, and Tiffany

2000 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Glassow
Keyword(s):  
Recent Article ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Number Of Individuals

AbstractMason et al. (1998) argue in a recent article that weight as a form of data quantification in the analysis of shellfish remains should be replaced with estimates of the Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) based on identification of “nonrepetitive” elements (NRE) such as the hinge of a bivalve. Their comparisons of the two forms of shell data quantification lack relevance, and they fail to recognize difficulties in identifying nonrepetitive elements on many kinds of shells. Although weight of shells has its shortcomings, it is still the most appropriate form of quantification in many contexts. A more fruitful viewpoint would be to consider ways in which weight and MNI (or NRE) might complement each other in addressing research questions.

scholarly journals Earliest Evidence of Neolithic Collective Burials from Eastern Iberia: Radiocarbon Dating at the Archaeological Site of Les Llometes (Alicante, Spain)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 679-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domingo C Salazar-García ◽  
Oreto García-Puchol ◽  
María Paz de Miguel-Ibáñez ◽  
Sahra Talamo
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Minimum Number Of Individuals ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractIn the Valencia region of Spain, the dominant use of natural caves for collective burials during the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods has been documented. Collective burials are central to the hypothesis about social relationships in Copper Age societies from Iberia, and key to interpreting kinship-based societies. Les Llometes (Alcoi, Alicante) is one of the biggest collective burial sites existing in eastern Iberia. This article presents the direct14C dates on 25 skeletal remains at the site. The results indicate that the site was used as a burial place from the end of the 5th millennium cal BC until the end of the 4th millennium cal BC, and is a first milestone for future studies that will shed light on the transition towards social structure through the use of a cemetery space. Moreover, this research is one of the few investigations of Late Neolithic collective burials in Iberia that comprises an extensive accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)14C data set of almost all the individuals reported at a single site. This case also serves to highlight the utility of revisiting materials from historic excavations by14C dating all the skeletal remains that define the minimum number of individuals, and therefore ensuring a more complete picture of the prehistoric human record.

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