Sometimes Less is More: Comparison of Rapid and Traditional Recording Methods, Bantycock Mine, Balderton (Angela Trentacoste)

Sometimes Less is More: Comparison of Rapid and Traditional Recording Methods, Bantycock Mine, Balderton (Angela Trentacoste)

Many methods of recording and quantification are currently employed in vertebrate faunal analysis. Over the last few decades, methods that include only a restricted suite of skeletal parts have grown in popularity for their ability to rapidly record and analyze assemblages. Despite their increased usage, rapid techniques have rarely been directly evaluated and conditions concerning their appropriate application are generally undefined. To test the limitations of a rapid recording and quantification system, the previously studied faunal assemblage from Bantycock Mine, Balderton (Nottinghamshire) was recorded and quantified a second time. The original report, which identified as many specimens as possible, was then compared to new results derived from a rapid recording system. The outcome of each method is presented and the arising differences interpreted. New data from the rapid system is incorporated into previous investigation of animal management. Discussion highlights the similarity of results and examines the biases in each system. The application of rapid methods to other assemblages is questioned, and finally, avenues for further research are explored.

Angela Trentacoste, University of Sheffield

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