Circaea 9 (1)

Describes the way in which different kinds of fleece developed in domestic sheep from the Early Bronze Age onwards. MH

Brief consideration of two taphonomic factors which may affect bones during burial: special states of preservation such as the presence of adipocere, copper alloy staining or keratin preservation; and insect damage to bone, with an example of Roman chicken bones from Uley which displayed well defined tracking across the bones. MH

Describes the standardised classification of samples for biological analysis used in the Environmental Archaeology Unit, York, which were developed to deal with deposits which are primarily from urban sites with complex, commonly `waterlogged' stratigraphy. The eight types are described as general biological analysis samples, bulk sieving samples, site riddled samples, hand-collected material, spot samples, pollen samples, woods, and others. MH

Identification of preserved biological materials is often regarded as a skill which has little to do with analysis and interpretation. This paper argues that in zooarchaeological studies # here with particular reference to vertebrate remains # identification procedures deserve more detailed consideration, because these procedures have a significant effect on the results of faunal studies. It is suggested that most identifications are made within a system of usually unspecified rules which vary from one analyst to another. Improvements in comparability between faunal studies will result if these rules are considered before beginning an analysis, and if the rules are made explicit in publications. Au