Dear colleagues,
Yes, I have this problem during almost 10 years. The real life has caused the following practice for me:
I store:
1) Bones, which are suitable for measurements. 2) Various interesting objects: bones with traces of lifetime traumas, bones with decorations, bone tools, the majority of bones of wild species (as a rule, they are not numerous), etc. 3) Bones which have been photographed by me for any reason.
I do not store:
1) All unindefinable bones, 2) Ordinar fragments of bones of domestic animals, 3) Bones which are burnt by fire. 4) Bones from not reliably dated contexts.
Certainly, the exceptions may be, but it depends on a concrete situation.
And more one: all these above-mentioned rules concerns only new materials. In our institute I store bone collections which have been collected within last 50 years, from many monuments, practically from all territory of the former USSR. These collections are stored completely!
I can see we have identical problems in all countries....
Sincerely,
Aleksei Kasparov,
PhD, senior researcherLaboratory of Archaeological Technologies
Institut for History of Material Culture of Russian Akademy of Sciences
Dvortsovaia unb.18, 191186 St.-Petersburg,
RUSSIA
7(812)293-63-32 +7911-294-64-26
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 10/23/13, Michael A. Etnier <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal of animal remains
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 3:37 AM
I'm afraid I have to disagree with
Julie vis a vis the utility of
poorly-dated assemblages. On our Pacific Coast, Shawn
Larson was
interested in evaluating the loss of genetic diversity in
sea otters as a
consequence of commercial over-hunting of their
populations. All she
needed to know is that the sampled bones pre-dated the
beginning of the
commercial trade.
We sampled 25 individuals, which required a massive overall
assemblage
size, and she was able to document that their genetic
diversity was roughly
twice that of the post-commercial remnant population.
None of this could have been accomplished if the assemblage
had been
thinned out and partially discarded.
---Mike
Michael A. Etnier, PhD
Applied Osteology
Bellingham, WA
www.appliedosteology.com
and
Department of Anthropology
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
http://faculty.washington.edu/metnier/
-------- Original Message --------
> From: "Julie Hamilton" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:34 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal
of animal
remains
>
> From the point of view of someone who's spent a lot of
time sampling
curated bone for isotope analysis (which wasn't even dreamt
of at the time
the sites were dug): it's all about the archaeology. Bone
from mixed
contexts or without good contextual information is virtually
useless,
however complete/pretty/identified/modified/interesting.
Conversely,
scrappy bone from a secure context (especially if dated)is
really useful.
See also the recent projects headed by Alasdair Whittle
& Alex Bayliss on
radiocarbon dating long barrows & causewayed enclosures
- fantastic
fine-grained dating of major importance to archaeology in
general, not
zooarchaeology alone. I think this would apply to most
studies that rely on
going back to museum collections, even the ones using
techniques that
haven't been invented yet.
> j
>
> Julie Hamilton
> RLAHA
> Dyson Perrins Bldg
> South Parks Rd
> OXFORD OX1 3QY
>
> Phone: 01865 285216
> Mobile: 07814 433424
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
> When emailing me, please check that you are using the
@rlaha address, to
avoid confusion with the other JH at Oxford! (@MedSci)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological
sites
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Warman, Sylvia
> Sent: 22 October 2013 10:27
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal
of animal
remains
>
> Sorry Zooarchers
>
> I forgot the no attachments rule.
>
> Please use the following link to find out more about
the upcoming event
at the LAARC.
>
>
http://www.archaeologists.net/news/131021-workshop-selection-strategies-arch
ive-deposition-or-'less-more
>
>
> Best Wishes
>
> Sylvia
>
>
>
> Dr Sylvia Warman | Science Advisor, London
>
> Direct Line: 0207 973 3733
>
> Mobile Phone: 07881805347
>
>
>
> English Heritage | 1 Waterhouse Square
>
> 138-42 Holborn | London EC1N 2ST
>
>
>
> www.english-heritage.org.uk
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Symmons [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 October 2013 10:15
> To: Warman, Sylvia
> Subject: RE: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal
of animal
remains
>
> Since it will be the day before my 40th, I would say a
drink is
mandatory.
> :)
> xx
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Warman, Sylvia [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 October 2013 10:09
> To: 'Robert Symmons'
> Subject: RE: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal
of animal
remains
>
> Super
>
> Might fit in a swift beverage after unless you are on
tight schedule?
>
> Sylvia
>
>
> Dr Sylvia Warman | Science Advisor, London
>
> Direct Line: 0207 973 3733
>
> Mobile Phone: 07881805347
>
>
>
> English Heritage | 1 Waterhouse Square
>
> 138-42 Holborn | London EC1N 2ST
>
>
>
> www.english-heritage.org.uk
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Symmons [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 October 2013 10:08
> To: Warman, Sylvia
> Subject: RE: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal
of animal
remains
>
> Hi Dude
> Already enrolled in the meeting. It sounds like it will
be an excellent
day!
> xx
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Warman, Sylvia [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 October 2013 10:00
> To: 'Robert Symmons'
> Subject: RE: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal
of animal
remains
>
> Hello Nobs
>
> We (folks in London with help of IfA london and the
LAARC) are holding a
workshop on just this topic on 14th Novemeber at the LAARC.
>
> I'm taking notes in the animal bone session - but it
would be great to
have some more curator type people there (plus you are still
a Zooarch
underneath as it were).
>
> I will send a less chatty version of this around
ZOOARCH.
>
> Details of workshop attached - I do hope you can make
it.
>
> Sylvia
>
>
> Dr Sylvia Warman | Science Advisor, London
>
> Direct Line: 0207 973 3733
>
> Mobile Phone: 07881805347
>
>
>
> English Heritage | 1 Waterhouse Square
>
> 138-42 Holborn | London EC1N 2ST
>
>
>
> www.english-heritage.org.uk
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological
sites
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Robert Symmons
> Sent: 22 October 2013 09:56
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [ZOOARCH] Selective retention and disposal of
animal remains
>
> Dear All
>
> Like much of the country, museums here in Sussex are
suffering from an
acute lack of storage space. In an attempt to alleviate this
problem Sussex
Museums Group (in consultation with the planning authority,
local
specialists and commercial units) is keen to limit the
volume of material
that is entering museum stores from developer-funded
excavations. We are
facing the prospect of making some very difficult decisions
and I do not
ask the following question lightly:
>
> What animal bone from developer-funded excavations
could justifiably be
disposed of following analysis, rather than being deposited
at a museum?
>
> Of course we understand that the answer is not as
simple as the question,
but we hope to synthesise specialist opinion into some
guidance that can be
rolled out across the county. Sadly, keeping everything is
not an option at
this stage.
>
> All the best
> Rob
>
> Rob Symmons
> Secretary, Sussex Museums Group.
>
> This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and
may contain
personal views which are not the views of English Heritage
unless
specifically stated. If you have received it in error,
please delete it
from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not
use, copy or
disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on
it. Any
information sent to English Heritage may become publicly
available.
>
> Portico: your gateway to information on sites in the
National Heritage
Collection; have a look and tell us what you think.
>
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/archives-and-collections/por
> tico/
>
> This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and
may contain
personal views which are not the views of English Heritage
unless
specifically stated. If you have received it in error,
please delete it
from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not
use, copy or
disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on
it. Any
information sent to English Heritage may become publicly
available.
>
> Portico: your gateway to information on sites in the
National Heritage
Collection; have a look and tell us what you think.
>
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/archives-and-collections/por
> tico/
>
> This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and
may contain
personal views which are not the views of English Heritage
unless
specifically stated. If you have received it in error,
please delete it
from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not
use, copy or
disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on
it. Any
information sent to English Heritage may become publicly
available.
>
> Portico: your gateway to information on sites in the
National Heritage
Collection; have a look and tell us what you think.
>
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/archives-and-collections/por
tico/
|
