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University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Animal carcasses—Biodegradation; Forensic anthropology; Forensic entomology; Physical anthropology; Postmortem changes; Taphonomy
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Arid Climate Decomposition And Decay: A Taphonomic Study Using Swine, James William Munkres
Arid Climate Decomposition And Decay: A Taphonomic Study Using Swine, James William Munkres
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The present project analyzes the taphonomic processes and variables involved in the decomposition and desiccation of animal remains in an arid/hyper-arid environment. The study and the derived data will assist in determining postmortem intervals for remains in modern contexts, inform judgments made regarding mortuary habits and techniques in archaeological contexts, and will improve our knowledge regarding taphonomic processes. Manner of deposition, the depositional surface/medium and arid-climate specific variables (temperature, water, insect activity, weathering, pH levels, and soil characteristics) were examined in this study. Reported observations are limited to the first ten months following death from early December through early October …