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Comparative Archaeology Database, University of Pittsburgh
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Las Vegas Fauna Dataset |
The files MAMMALS.TXT and MAMMALS.XLS provide taxa information about mammal specimens recovered at each excavated context in the various Vegas sites. MAMMALS.TXT is a comma delimited ASCII text file; MAMMALS.XLS contains the same data in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Each line in the ASCII file represents all the elements of the same species within a context. There are 11,696 lines, each with 37 variables separated by commas. The variables are listed in the following order:
| 1 | Site number |
| 2 | Provenience (trench and quadrat) |
| 3 | Level (depth below datum in cm) |
| 4 | Number of fragments of elements of the same species within this context |
| 5 | Weight (g) (to 0.01) |
| 6 | Maximum suprrficial length grouped by category (5 mm increments) |
| 7 | Class
ind = indeterminate mam = mammal |
| 8 | Arbitrary designation of small, medium, or large for the Class variable. |
| 9 | Order
art = artiodactyla car = carnivora cet = cetacea did = didelphimorphia lag = lagomorpha pil = pilosa pri = primates rod = rodentia |
| 10 | Arbitrary designation of small, medium, or large for the Order variable. |
| 11 | Family |
| 12 | Arbitrary designation of small, medium, or large for the Family variable. |
| 13 | Genus (identification usually to genus and above, unless specific morphology enabled identification of species) |
| 14 | Skeletal element |
| 15 | Portion (anatomical orientation) |
| 16 | Side (right or left where appropriate) |
| 17 | Scan Site 1. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 18 | Scan Site 2. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 19 | Scan Site 3. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 20 | Scan Site 4. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 21 | Scan Site 5. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 22 | Scan Site 6. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 23 | Scan Site 7. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 24 | Scan Site 8. Scan sites are used to estimate density-mediated attrition. Where applicable, the extent of preservation for each scan site is estimated in quartiles (1.0, 100%, 0.75, 75%, 0.5, 50%, 0.25, 25%). Each scan site column accords to standardized scan sites published for cervidae (Lyman 1994), canidae (Novecosky and Popkin 2004), and leporidae (Pavao and Stahl 1999). |
| 25 | Number of incisors when erupted in Dentary or Maxilla |
| 26 | Number of canines when erupted in Dentary or Maxilla |
| 27 | Number of premolars when erupted in Dentary or Maxilla |
| 28 | Number of molars when erupted in Dentary or Maxilla |
| 29 | Fusion/Eruption in Dentary or Maxilla (generally for immature specimens) U = unfused D = deciduous teeth E = erupting teeth |
| 30 | Burning variable 1 (separated if burning stages are different) 1 = Yellow-brown to Pink-brown (220-350 C) 2 = Dark brown to black (350-400 C) 3 = Dark blue-gray to light grey (400-500 C) 4 = Pink-grey to white (Calcined; 500 C) |
| 31 | Burning variable 2 (separated if burning stages are different) 1 = Burned over entire piece 2 = Burned Proximal 3 = Burned Middle 4 = Burned Distal 5 = Burned Prox. and Md. 6 = Burned Dist. and Md. 7 = Burned Prox. and Dist. 8 = Burned Interior Only 9 = Burned Exterior Only 0 = Burned in part |
| 32 | Observation variable 1 (3 variables are used to accommodate up to 3 separate observations for the same specimen) a = articulated b = abraded c = chew/puncture d = digested g = rodent gnaw i = intrusive p = polished r = root staining w = weather (+ numeric stage) x = cut/saw (+ description of separate sheet) y = calcium carbonate/caliche z = mineral staining |
| 33 | Observations variable 2 (3 variables are used to accommodate up to 3 separate observations for the same specimen) a = articulated b = abraded c = chew/puncture d = digested g = rodent gnaw i = intrusive p = polished r = root staining w = weather (+ numeric stage) x = cut/saw (+ description of separate sheet) y = calcium carbonate/caliche z = mineral staining |
| 34 | Observations variable 3 (3 variables are used to accommodate up to 3 separate observations for the same specimen) a = articulated b = abraded c = chew/puncture d = digested g = rodent gnaw i = intrusive p = polished r = root staining w = weather (+ numeric stage) x = cut/saw (+ description of separate sheet) y = calcium carbonate/caliche z = mineral staining |
| 35 | Breakage variable 1 (two variables are used to record mixed breakage patterns, e.g. HEl; LO3 etc.) HE = Helical LB = Longitudinal and Oblique TR = Transverse TL = Transverse and Longitudinal OS = Oblique, straight path SA = Sagittal OP = Oblique, stepped path V = V-shaped ST = Stepped path U = Unknown LO = Longitudinal |
| 36 | Breakage variable 2 (two variables are used to record mixed breakage patterns, e.g. HEl; LO3 etc.) 1 = Proximal 2 = Distal 3 = Dorsal 4 = Ventral 5 = Medial 6 = Lateral |
| 37 | Additional comments. Descriptions of cut marks or modification, details of burning, description of tooth eruption, recovery from flotation fraction, photographed, etc.; Byrd# (in Byrd 1976 study) Chase Analysis# (in Stothert 1988 study), FLMNH# (in FLMNH collection with original comments), *AMNH# (pulled for identification in AMNH collection), pulled for DNA (aDNA analysis of canid elements). |
The first line of the ASCII text file, for example, looks like this:
OGSE-80,N-N~ 7-10,95-115,1,0.54,15,mam,L,art,L,cer,S,Mazama,Phalanx 2,Proximal,R,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
This means that the specimens belong to site OGSE-80, provenience N-N~ 7-10, at a depth of 95-115 cm below datum. The number of fragments of this element within this context is 1. It weighs 0.54 g, its maximum length is 15 mm. It is identified to zoological Class mammal, and it is large; of the Order Artiodactyla, and it is large; of the Family Cervidae, and it is small, likely of the Genus Mazama. The skeletal element is a 2nd phalanx, it is the proximal portion, from the right side. The scan site 1 preservation is 100%.
The last, or 11,696th line of the ASCII text file is:
OGSE-66,Un 1,50-60,1,0.55,15,ind,,,,,,,Indeterminate, Fragment,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
This means that the specimen belongs to site OGSE-66, provenience Un 1, at a depth of 50-60 cm below datum. The number of fragments of this element within this context is 1. It weighs 0.55 g, its maximum length is 15 mm. It is Indeterminate as it cannot be identified to zoological Class. The skeletical element is Indeterminate as the bone from which it derives cannot be identified, and it is a fragment whose anatomical position cannot be determined.
Download the file MAMMALS.TXT (1.11 MB) or the file MAMMALS.XLS (2.19 MB).
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