Computerised Bone Templates as the Basis of a Practical Procedure
to Record and Analyse Graphical Zooarchaeological Data.

	Details of the System and its Application.
	To introduce the application described in this presentation there are a number of concepts and conventions that need to be explained, these are set out below but are also demonstrated in the evaluation material that is available as supplementary files for those who are interested.
	(a) The Template (fig. 1(a).). An individual template is composed of a set of digital images of the particular skeletal element all set out within a single screen. These templates are the basis of the application and all the graphical data, such as individual fragments and any associated butchery marks are recorded in relation to the standard template of the particular skeletal element. Fig. 1(a). Example of the image template. (b) The Line Template (fig. 1(b).). Closely associated with the digital image template is a simple line template. This is essentially a layer but is incorporated in such a way as to be interchangeable with the image template so that it can be used to make the fragments or butchery marks clearer to see on screen or when they are printed out. Given that a high level of bone detail is provided by the images, the line templates are extremely simple and only provide a basic outline to the bone. Fig. 1(b). Example of the line template. (c) Layers. All the work is done with layers that are placed above the image and line templates. The layers would contain detail of a fragment or identified butchery marks on the particular bone and are best likened to transparent sheets that contain various bits of the graphical data. These layers can be copied to record data, saved separately, added to the stack on top of the template as required and removed from it. Additionally they can be "switched" on and off as required or have their transparency varied to aid examination or interrogation of the previously recorded data in them. (d) How the Graphical Data is Recorded and Stored. Before the graphical data can be used for analysis it has to be recorded in its own layer which is then saved as a separate file that can then be recombined to examine various groupings of the data for analysis. To do this new layers are created over the template and the fragment drawn in one and the butchery marks (if any) in another (as fragments and such as butchery marks may be examined separately they are stored separately); the two layers (for example butchery and fragment) which together record the fragment are saved as two separate files - both identified as the same fragments so they are always related. (e) Using the Recorded Data. Once the data has been recorded and the individual layer files saved (fragments and any associated  surface modifications) they can be recombined over the templates in groups, for example to examine all the butchery evidence on the left femur - those particular layer files are then added over the left femur template and the distribution pattern is immediately shown. Similarly fragments can be combined and another way of determining MNI applied. The  supplementary evaluation material demonstrates both of these uses of recorded data.
	Key criteria in developing this application were flexibility, functionality and cost. The application, its templates and their potential for use to record and analyse graphical zooarchaeological data had to recognise the individuality of potential users who may have different requirements. As such it is conceived as an addition to the zooarchaeologist's tool-kit for examining archaeological remains which after recording the graphic information could be used to examine data in a number of different ways to explore the potential for understanding and interpreting that material. There has been no intention of "locking" the application into a specific programme, programming script or language so individual users may apply the templates and develop their use in the most appropriate way for themselves, thereby maintaining maximum flexibility for the future. Development was carried out using Pro Paint Shop Pro (www.jasc.com), a widely used graphics software package which is one of a number of graphics packages that are on the market today; all perform similar functions and as such the templates and application are potentially transferable to a user's preferred graphics software. The use of Paint Shop Pro for development and demonstration has been based solely on the author's personal preference. It was anticipated that printing for hard copy file records or to incorporate into reports would be particularly important both of the templates on their own and with data incorporated; to maintain flexibility, templates have been made large so that a whole template, individual bones or parts of a bone may be printed without loosing quality.

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