COMPARISON OF 1 8-INCH-MESH AND 1/4-INCH-MESH RECOVERY OF CONTROLLED SAMPLES OF SMALL-TO-MEDIUM-SIZED MAMMALS/

Most previous screen experiments have assessed various mesh-size biase s in the recovery of faunal remains from specific archaeological sampl es. These tests provided detailed information about recovery biases at those sites. To augment these previous tests, Shaffer (1992) conducte d 1/4''-screen tests on modern comparative mammal skeletons to assess specific biases for the taxa tested. However, because 1/8'' screens ar e now widely used in archaeological sampling, potential biases should be assessed. Results presented here document hypothetical best recover y of the taxa tested and substantial increased recovery of mammals wei ghing between 18 and 340 g for 1/8''-screen tests relative to 1/4''-sc reen tests.