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ASM Occasional Electronic Papers No. 1: Homol'ovi IV

Chapter Eleven:
Faunal Analysis

Lucia Andronescu and Karin Glinsky
Worked Bone Analysis by Wendy Jones

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The faunal environment around the Homol'ovi Pueblos shows remarkable diversity. The environment in the immediate vicinity of Homol'ovi was excellent for a variety of animals and the Little Colorado River would have served as a magnet or collecting point for many animals. For the most part, the people of Homol'ovi did not have to travel far for animals; the river would have brought the animals to them. Faunal analysts (Pierce 1989, 2001; Strand 1998; Szuter 1991) have observed that the faunal remains indicate the Little Colorado River was an important resource for the inhabitants of the Homol'ovi pueblos. Not only did it directly supply the people with a variety of water animals, its presence served as a collecting point for many land animals who would have been drawn to the river area for water and the habitat the river offered (Pierce 1989).

Faunal analysis of the Homol'ovi collection gives some idea of the fauna of the Homol'ovi area in prehistoric times. Animals inhabiting the Little Colorado River itself include fish, grebes, herons, ducks, teals, cranes, American coots, and the muskrat. Others, not directly inhabiting the river but attracted to the region by its presence include porcupine, carnivores, and artiodactyls. Other animals prevalent in the area include hares, rabbits, and rodents (Pierce 1989). In the 1850s an exploratory survey of the area was performed by the United States Government to determine the best path for a railroad. The survey crew that explored the path of the Little Colorado River reported that they often saw ducks, including mallards and teals, and beavers and porcupines. The latter they claimed enjoyed a bountiful subsistence from the bark and tender twigs and buds in the young cottonwood trees (Whipple 1856).

Methods

A total of 1606 faunal remains from Homol'ovi IV were analyzed with 1364 (84.9%) bones identified. The remaining 242 were categorized as undetermined. All worked bone was removed and analyzed separately by Wendy Jones. All animal bone from completely excavated structures was analyzed. None of the bone recovered from the plaza or from partially excavated structures was analyzed.

The identification was performed by using the National Park Service faunal collection, housed in the Arizona State Museum, under the curatorship of Professor Stanley J. Olsen. The analysis was performed analogous to that of previous studies of the Homol'ovi Project faunal material. The data were first recorded on 5X8 inch cards and then transcribed into computer codes, recording the location of the remains within the Homol'ovi structure, the taxon, body part, state of the element, fusion, burning, butchering, pathology, relative size and quantity.

Some bones were identified only to class due to their fragmentary condition. These elements were placed in "mammal" or "bird" size groups, accordingly. When the size or category was not determined the bones were recorded as "unidentified". Non-worked bone consisted of NISP (number of identifiable specimens) and taxonomic indices. A listing of all animal bone identified to the level of genus is listed in Table 11.1.

Table 11.1 A list of the taxonomic representation at Homol’ovi IV

LAGOMORPHS: