Faunal Remains

The faunal dataset is comprised of 81,947 specimens, recovered from a variety of contexts within the Dolores Project area (Neusius 1985c; Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986). Nonhuman macrofaunal remains collected during site excavations are by far the most abundant in the DAP assemblage (n=76,224), followed by microfaunal specimens (n=5,723) collected by way of dry screening and flotation processing (Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986). A third set of miscellaneous remains include specimens recovered from coprolites, the skeletal elements of an extinct musk ox, and items collected from packrat middens (Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986). During one of the initial steps of analysis, provenience information for each observation was linked to a broad taxonomic category. As a result, catalog numbers also designate a single taxon. The level of confidence with which each taxonomic assignment was made is also specified. Bones exhibiting patterns of modification resulting from both nonhuman taphonomic processes and cultural use are indicated; specimens exhibiting cultural use were further examined by the Reductive Technologies Group (RTG). Specimens were identified to skeletal element type whenever possible, as well as the side of the body represented. Counts of items sharing these characteristics are given, and it should be emphasized that single line entries in the dataset may reflect several individual bone specimens. As most faunal remains were not complete, a series of attributes indicate the completeness of specimens and their position with respect to the whole bone element (proximality) and complete skeleton (axiality, laterality, and structure). Other observations are also provided, such as the presence or absence of cut marks, breakage patterns and their age, evidence of burning, and the age of an individual. The variables used to identify and describe items in the faunal database at each interval, from recovery to interpretation, are the most suitable observations for identifying the taphonomic processes resulting in the discard of animal remains within a cultural context. For the EAG, this would have been important for reconstructing the economy and adaptive strategies of the Dolores Anasazi with the highest level of accuracy possible. As a result, their contributions were considered especially foundational to efforts in explaining perceived patterns in the archaeological record of the DAP area over time (Lipe 1984; Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986: 199). Variables in the faunal dataset have already been described by Wilshusen et al. (1999). In most cases, their descriptions are suitable for use as metadata and have been repeated almost verbatim here. Selected resources from the collection of published and unpublished DAP reports may have been used for clarification in some cases and will be appropriately referenced.

本动物群数据集（faunal dataset）共收录81947件标本，均采集自多洛雷斯项目区域（Dolores Project area）的多种埋藏语境（Neusius 1985c; Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986）。遗址发掘过程中出土的非人类大型动物群遗存是DAP组合遗存中占比最高的类群（n=76224），其次是通过干筛法（dry screening）与浮选法（flotation processing）采集的微小动物群标本（n=5723）（Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986）。第三类为杂项遗存，包括从粪化石（coprolite）中提取的标本、已灭绝麝牛（extinct musk ox）的骨骼元素，以及从林鼠堆弃堆积（packrat midden）中收集的遗存（Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986）。在分析的初始步骤之一中，每条记录的出土地层信息（provenience）已与宽泛的分类学类别绑定，因此每件标本的编号均对应单一分类单元（taxon），同时还标注了该分类鉴定的置信度水平。数据集中标注了同时受非人类埋藏学过程（taphonomic process）与人类使用痕迹改造的骨骼遗存；带有人类使用痕迹的标本已由还原技术工作组（Reductive Technologies Group，RTG）开展进一步检测。研究人员尽可能对标本进行了骨骼元素类型（skeletal element type）与身体左右侧的鉴定，本文列出了具备上述特征的遗存数量，并需特别说明：数据集中的单行条目可能对应多件独立骨骼标本。由于多数动物群遗存并不完整，本数据集通过一系列属性指标记录标本的完整程度，以及其相对于完整骨块的位置（近端性proximality）与完整骨骼的位置（轴位axiality、侧位laterality与结构structure）。此外还记录了其他观测信息，例如砍痕（cut mark）的有无、破碎模式（breakage pattern）及其形成年代、燃烧痕迹（evidence of burning），以及个体年龄。从标本采集到释读的各个阶段中，用于鉴定和描述该动物群数据库内记录的变量，是识别文化背景下动物遗存被丢弃过程的最适观测指标。对于EAG而言，这类变量可用于以最高精度重建多洛雷斯阿纳萨齐人的经济模式与适应策略，因此其研究成果对于解释DAP区域随时间变化的考古记录中所观察到的模式具有奠基性意义（Lipe 1984; Petersen, Matthews et al. 1986: 199）。该动物群数据集的变量已由Wilshusen等人（1999）进行过描述，多数情况下其描述可直接作为元数据（metadata）使用，因此本次翻译几乎逐字沿用了原文内容。部分已发表与未发表的DAP报告资源或在部分案例中用于内容澄清，并将按规范标注引用来源。