Inventory & MNI estimation

Inventory & MNI estimation
Identification of bones
 What shape is the bone?
o Flat
o Short
o Long
o Irregular
o Sesamoid
 Is this bone part of the axial or appendicular skeleton?
 Where does this bone come from in the axial/ appendicular skeleton?
 What landmarks can you identify?

Siding of bones
 What structures can you identify?
 Where are the articular surfaces?
 Where are the muscle attachment sites?
 Can you identify the proximal/distal end?

Estimating the MNI
MNI = minimum number of individuals
 What is the most abundant bone?
 What side is it from?
 Does the bone belong to adult or subadult?
 Can you estimate sex? If yes, what is the sex of the bone?
 Can you estimate age? If yes, what is the age of the bone?
 Are the bones gracile or robust?