Which of the following is a method of quantifying animal bone from an archaeological site?
A) counting the number of identifiable specimens (NISP)
B) calculating the maximum number of species present (MNS)
C) determining the season of occupation based on geographic index of seasonality (GIS)
D) estimating the age at death for each animal body recovered (AD)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Counting the number of identifiable specimens (NISP) is a common method of quantifying animal bone from an archaeological site. This involves counting the number of individual bones or bone fragments that can be identified to a specific species. It provides a rough estimate of the minimum number of animals present at the site. The other choices do not involve quantifying bone as directly. Calculating maximum number of species present (MNS) is a way to estimate the ecological diversity of the site, determining the season of occupation based on the geographic index of seasonality (GIS) involves analyzing environmental data rather than bone, and estimating age at death (AD) is a method of analyzing bone to understand the life history of an individual animal.

Which of the Following Is a Method of Quantifying Animal