I agree with what Richard has said here most strongly....when curating the
material from Vindolanda, I have followed the American Museum style,
writing both context code and the unique catalog number on each and every
item.

The only exceptions to this have been the material we have been recovering
via sieving/flotation -- bones of tiny species of birds, mammals,
amphibians, and fish that it would just be physically impossible to write
on. I have put these specimens in glass or (in some cases) plastic vials.
Even the glass vials have plastic screw-on tops, so as Richard notes they
are perishable, but it's the best we can currently do.

Into the vial with the specimen goes a label written with a Sharpie
permanent marker on a little strip of Tyvek paper. This is dangerous
because if somebody comes to study the material and they break the lab
rule and have more than one vial open at one time, specimens could get put
back into the wrong vial and hence associated with the wrong number. To
guard against this, I do three things: (1) take index photographs of each
and every tiny specimen (we have a wonderful videophotomicroscope in the
lab which makes this job a snap); (2) get the catalog typed up and backed
up/cut to disk ASAP after assigning numbers to specimens; (3) forbid
anybody else to work with our microfauna (i.e. open the vials) until I've
got 'em published!!!!

(LOL) Dr. Deb


> Regrettably, I must cordially disagree with the "do not write on bones"
> position because almost containers are more perishable than the bones
> themselves. Ideally one writes on the bone in "permanent" black ink and
> then stores them in Tyvek envelopes also so labeled, since Tyvek is
> almost indestructible. Thus, thinking of the deeper future, one only has
> to do things once and the next person to study a collection does not
> have to do it all over again and can match up what he/she is studying
> with what you did previously. Also it is essential to remember that the
> most important information about the bone is its archaeological context
> (without which the specimen is basically useless) and thus any numbers
> used on bones or bags much be related to contextual information in a
> manner that is able to be interpreted by someone who wants to use the
> collection when the original excavator/analyst is long gone. It this
> respect, it is important to note that all museum collection specimens
> are, by standard protocol, individually labeled with a label that is
> keyed to the accession data stored physically and electronically.
> Cheers,
> Richard Meadow
>
> mohammad Alzawahra wrote:
>> Dear all, Salam-Hi,
>> Let us not to write any more on bone surfaces.
>> Simply take all notes, measurements, photos, drawings, etc..., then
>> return bones to their envelopes. Labeling & writings should be done on
>> the envelope itself ( like number of fragments, serial numbers,
>> etc...). In case of very special data (bones) a label hangs on it, or
>> writing on its envelope. In case you need to recheck again or return
>> back to any specific fragments you have to pay for that (effort and
>> time), otherwise let us to do things once!
>> yours
>>
>> *Mohammad Al-Zawahra*
>> *     *
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:28:24 -0400
>> > From: [log in to unmask]
>> > Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] labeling animal bones
>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>> >
>> > Be very careful with Acryloid (Paraloid) B-72 as a consolidant and
>> as an
>> > adhesive (and for use in labeling) as it it has a glass transition
>> > temperature of 40 C. This means that it is completely stable only
>> below
>> > about 35 C. Above that it begins to get soft. So if your bones are
>> > stored in non climate-controlled conditions where it can get hot
>> during
>> > the summer (as in many areas of the world), you may be in for problems
>> > as the B-72 softens. For labeling bone, why not use a black Sharpie
>> fine
>> > point or ultra fine point marker directly on the bone? Sharpies have
>> > been demonstrated to be permanent and the black ink does not fade
>> (this
>> > has been tested by leaving a sample in a full-sun window for 5 years!)
>> > Under no circumstances use any colored ink for labeling. It will fade.
>> > There is one collection I know of that was labeled in blue and red
>> ink,
>> > and all information written on the bones had been lost when someone
>> went
>> > back to check IDs and remeasure the specimens.
>> > Richard Meadow
>>
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