Tools of the Trade – Identifying Bones

Tools of the Trade Checklist

Plastic or metal trays greater than 8” x 11”—available at neighborhood discount stores
Denture Brush—available at the neighborhood discount store
Dental Picks—available from science supply companies
10X Magnifying Loop—available from science supply companies
Paper glue (Elmer’s or similar)—Available at office supply stores
Clean quartz sand—Available at science supply stores
Small containers—Available at neighborhood discount stores
Animal Diversity Web – http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
Bone Atlases – see list below Sliding calipers—available at your local hardware store or through science supply companies
Permits to collect road kill and migratory birds – if required by your local government
Stereomicroscope or digital microscope for viewing taphonomic signatures at 50X magnification–available at science supply stores, electronics stores, or a science classroom

Recommended Bone Atlases

Mammals

Mammal Remains from Archaeological Sites (Olsen 1964)
Atlas of Animal Bones (Schmid 1972) Mammalian Zooarchaeology, Alaska (Smith 1979)
A Key to the Postcranial Skeletal Remains of Cattle/Bison, Elk, and Horse (Brown and Gustafson 1979)
An Osteology of Some Maya Mammals (Olsen 1982)
A Guide to Post-Cranial Bones of East African Animals (Walker 1985)
The Osteology of the South American Camelids (Pacheco Torres et al. 1986) Mammalian Osteology (Gilbert 1990)
Teeth (Hillson 1990)
Illustrated Key to Skulls of Genera of North American Land Mammals (Jones and Manning 1992)
Skulls and Bones: A Guide to the Skeletal Structures and Behavior of North American Mammals (Seafross 1995)
Mammal Bones and Teeth: An Introductory Guide to Methods of Identification (Hillson 1996)

Fish

Fish, Amphibian, and Reptile Remains from Archaeological Sites (Olsen 1968)
Marine Fish Osteology: A Manual for Archaeologists (Cannon 1987)

Birds

Mexican Macaws. Comparative Osteology and Survey of Remains from the Southwest (Hargrave 1970)
Osteology for the Archaeologist (Olsen 1979)
A Manual for the Identification of Bird Bones from Archaeological Sites (Cohen and Serjeantson 1996)
Avian Osteology (Gilbert et al. 1996)
Identification of Waterfowl Breastbones and Avian Osteology (Sterna) of North American Anseriformes (Oates et al. 2003)

Amphibians

Fish, Amphibian, and Reptile Remains from Archaeological Sites (Olsen 1968)

Reptiles

Osteology of the Reptiles (Romer 1956)
Fish, Amphibian, and Reptile Remains from Archaeological Sites (Olsen 1968)
A Turtle Atlas to Facilitate Archaeological Identification (Sobolik and Steele 1996)

Bone Atlas Full References

Brown, C. L., and C. E. Gustafson. 1979. A Key to Postcranial Skeletal Remains of Cattle/Bison, Elk, and Horse. Reports of investigations; no. 57. Pullman: Laboratory of Anthropology Washington State University.

Cannon, D. Y. 1987. Marine Fish Osteology: A Manual for Archaeologists. Burnaby, BC: Archaeology Press, Simon Fraser University.

Cohen, A., and D. Serjeantson. 1996. A Manual for the Identification of Bird Bones from Archaeological Sites. London: Archetype Publications.

Gilbert, B. M. 1990. Mammalian Osteology. Columbia: Missouri Archaeological Society.

Gilbert, B. M., L. D. Martin, and H. G. Savage. 1996. Avian Osteology. Columbia: Missouri Archaeological Society. Hargrave, L. L. 1970.

Mexican Macaws: Comparative Osteology and Survey of Remains from the Southwest. Anthropological papers of the University of Arizona; No. 20. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

Hillson, S. 1990. Teeth. Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hillson, S. 1996. Mammal Bones and Teeth: An Introductory Guide to Methods of Identification. London: Institute of Archaeology, University College.

Jones, J. K., and R. W. Manning. 1992. Illustrated Key to Skulls of Genera of North American Land Mammals. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press.

Oates, D. W., E. D. Boyd, and J. S. Ramaekers. 2003. Identification of Waterfowl Breastbones and Avian Osteology (Sterna) of North American Anseriformes. Special Publication Number 10. Martinsville: Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Olsen, S. J. 1964. Mammal Remains from Archaeological Sites. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, v. 56, no. 1. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum, Harvard University.

Olsen, S. J. 1968. Fish, Amphibian, and Reptile Remains from Archaeological Sites. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 56, no. 2. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum, Harvard University.

Olsen, S. J. 1979. Osteology for the Archaeologist. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, v. 56, nos. 3–5. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum, Harvard University.

Olsen, S. J. 1982. An Osteology of Some Maya Mammals. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, v. 73. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Pacheco Torres, V. R., A. A. Enciso, and E. G. Porras. 1986. The Osteology of the South American Camelids. Archaeological Research Tools Vol. 3. Los Angeles: University of California Institute of Archaeology.

Romer, A. S. 1956. Osteology of the Reptiles. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Schmid, E. 1972. Atlas of Animal Bones. For Prehistorians, Archaeologists, and Quaternary Geologists. Amsterdam, NY: Elsevier.

Seafross, G. 1995. Skulls and Bones: A Guide to the Skeletal Structures and Behavior of North American Mammals. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.

Serjeantson, D. 2009. Birds. Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Smith, G. S. 1979. Mammalian Zooarchaeology, Alaska: A Manual for Identifying and Analyzing Mammal Bones from Archaeological Sites in Alaska. Anthropology and Historic Preservation, Cooperative Park Studies Unit. Occasional Paper No 18. Fairbanks: University of Alaska.

Sobolik, K. D., and D. G. Steele.1996. A Turtle Atlas to Facilitate Archaeological Identifications. Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota,in conjunction with the Office of Research and Public Services, University of Maine.

Walker, R. 1985. A Guide to Post-cranial Bones of East African Animals. Norwich, Eng.: Hylochoerus Press.