NISP, Bone Fragmentation, and the Measurement of Taxonomic Abundance

Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that the number of identified specimens (NISP) is dependent on the degree to which bones are fragmented, but attempts are rarely made to control for the effects of fragmentation on NISP. This paper provides insight into those effects by presenting both a formal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of archaeological method and theory 2013-09, Vol.20 (3), p.397-419
Main Author: Cannon, Michael D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology
Archaeological methodology
Archaeology
Archaeozoology
Bone density
Bones
Data analysis
Digital images
Digital imaging
Experimental archaeology
Mathematical functions
Paleobiology
Proportions
Reliability functions
Social Sciences
Specimens
Survival rates
Taxa
Taxonomy
Zooarchaeology
Zoology
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Summary:Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that the number of identified specimens (NISP) is dependent on the degree to which bones are fragmented, but attempts are rarely made to control for the effects of fragmentation on NISP. This paper provides insight into those effects by presenting both a formal model of the relationship between NISP and fragmentation and experimental data on that relationship. The experimental data have practical implications regarding the effectiveness of potential measures of bone fragmentation, suggesting that specimen size—which can be determined easily through digital image analysis—is more useful than other variables that have been or might be used as fragmentation measures.
ISSN:1072-5369
1573-7764
DOI:10.1007/s10816-012-9166-z