Internet Archaeology 7. Jones. Discussion

Discussion

Developing the index of robustness has provided a method for judging the condition of assemblages of cod bones from archaeological excavations. An assemblage consisting only of the more robust bones (i.e. those with an IR of 1) are less well preserved than assemblages which contain bones with the higher IR. Here, then, is an objective way of categorising the completeness of an assemblage.

More important, however, is the final patterning apparent in the assemblage after 375 paces.

The recognisable bones consisted of a small number of cranial elements, a few anterior vertebrae and a few extreme caudal centra. The cleithrum and almost all the trunk vertebrae were absent at 375 paces. If such an assemblage was recovered from an archaeological site it would be possible to argue that it was the remains of a fish which had been decapitated and had its tail removed prior to the flesh and trunk vertebrae being transported elsewhere. As we know the history of the bones, such an interpretation is clearly wrong. However, if account is taken of which bones survive and their Index of Robustness, it becomes clear that the assemblage consists only of fragments of the most robust elements. Such an assemblage is of little value for assessing whether the assemblage represents the remains of fresh or preserved fishes.

A helpful concept is that of the decay trajectory. All objects and materials tend to decay with the passage of time. Well-preserved objects can be placed near the top of the trajectory, poorly preserved ones at the bottom. Clearly the cod which was subjected to 375 paces was very close to the bottom of its decay trajectory.