ABSTRACT
Archaeological faunal analysts are currently in disagreement as to what constitutes the best way to report animal remains: by raw count of bones, raw weight of bones, minimum individual animals, minimum individuals adjusted by number of bones per species, or some combination of these. The variety of birds eaten by the preceramic occupants of the cave is more striking than the absolute number of bird bones. Cottontail rabbits of two species were also an important source of meat for the occupants of the cave. Indeed, while cottontails probably did not provide nearly as many grams of meat as deer did, they may have been a more frequent item on the menu simply because of their greater numbers in the environment around the cave. The variety of birds eaten by the preceramic occupants of the cave is more striking than the absolute number of bird bones.
