As reliable and accurate identification of animal remains from archaeological sites depends on the availability and accessibility of a good comparative collection of modern specimens with known species, age, and sex information, it is essential for the lab to expand its collections. Such collections also facilitate teaching comparative osteology, zooarchaeological methods, and taphonomy, as well as enable students and researchers to engage in the analysis of archaeofaunal assemblages from Nevada and surrounding areas.
Currently, the modern reference collection largely contains disarticulated skeletons of wild and domestic vertebrates from southwest Asia and eastern Mediterranean. It also has many skeletons of terrestrial and marine mammals from southwestern United States.
The modern reference collection largely contains disarticulated skeletons of wild and domestic vertebrates from southwest Asia and eastern Mediterranean. It also has many skeletons of terrestrial and marine mammals from southwestern United States.
Besides the expanding modern reference collection, excavated faunal assemblages from Körtik Tepe (a pre-pottery Neolithic site in southeast Turkey) and Kültepe (a major Assyrian Trading Colonies center in central Turkey) are currently housed in the lab for comprehensive analyses.
