Zooarchaeological Services

With over 250 specimens in my comparative skeletal collection and an extensive library, I am capable of performing most faunal identifications within my office.  In addition to my collection, I have contacts at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, the University of Georgia's Museum of Natural History, and the Carolina Raptor Center which provides me with additional species if needed.  

 

When working with clients, I strive to stay within their budget while also providing them with the most useful information for their project.  Faunal remains are analyzed with specific research questions in mind and results are interpreted within the context of the site and its history.  

​

Clients typically provide me with the approximate number of bones, the number of assemblages needed, and the proposed research questions for their project.  From there I will prepare a budget proposal listing all of the analytical services included in a basic descriptive faunal report.  These standard services include:       

- Identification of Faunal Material to Species and Element (whenever possible)

-Number of Individual Specimens (NISP)

-Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI)

-Meat Weight Estimates

-Biomass Results

-Age Data (if applicable)

-Butchery Analysis

-Taphonomic Analysis (including evidence of burning, gnawing, and weathering)

-Species Descriptions

-Bone Measurements

​

If a client wants a more interpretive report, comparing the faunal data to similar sites, I have access to an extensive database of faunal data from sites I have analyzed, as well as, faunal data researched by other faunal analysts.