Most zooarchaeologists still use spreadsheets for data entry, despite their inherent limitations. In this poster, a newly developed solution for data acquisition and analysis in Palaeolithic zooarchaeology is presented.

TIPZOO is based on: 1) a FileMaker database specifically designed for zooarchs, with a graphical touchscreen interface; 2) scripts for automated and formatted data export, linked with reference datasets (bone density, marrow index, etc.), and scripts for statistical processing and graphical representation, using R and QGIS. Key features include: real-time verifications (checking for duplicates, data incoherence, etc.), standardized faster data entry (graphic aids, automatic pre-filling, dynamic field displaying, etc.), easy use of complex coding systems (cut-marks codes by Soulier and Costamagno, 2017; landmarks by Morin et al., 2017), automatic export of spatialized data, automated tables/graphs and statistical tests.

In the end, TIPZOO should limit intra- and inter-operator errors in data collection, allow analysts to save time in data entry and analysis, and facilitate spatial studies of faunal data. A first version will be made freely available online in the spring of 2020, for everyone to test and use (if it's worth it!).

References:

Morin, E., Ready, E., Boileau, A., Beauval, C., Coumont, M.-P., 2017. Problems of Identification and Quantification in Archaeozoological Analysis, Part II: Presentation of an Alternative Counting Method. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 24, 886–937.

Soulier, M.-C., Costamagno, S., 2017. Let the cutmarks speak! Experimental butchery to reconstruct carcass processing. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 11, 782–802.