Sampling for insect remains was conducted at ruins under excavation at Wetherill Mesa during 1961 and 1962. The mesa-top samples were unproductive; the more-protected cliff dwellings offered better results. The fragile nature of insect remains requires special procedures in their separation and preservation from the samples of soil, adobe, mortar, fecal matter, and other material collected for study. Insect species were found that could have been pests in stored grain as well as in the farmlands. Other insects, chiefly beetles, were recovered that might be classified as household pests. Scavenger insects, mainly tenebrionids, scarab beetles, and flies, were associated with turkey roosts, pack-rat nests, fecal matter, and burials. Twenty-four specimens of human feces were studied; only one sample contained insect remains (grasshopper parts) that could have been ingested. Insect activity on timbers was observed. It is possible that the Indians felled trees and permitted bark beetles and borers to “work” on the trees, thus loosening the bark for easier stripping. Although this study was not as comprehensive as might have been hoped for, results indicate that entomological study should certainly be useful in archaeological investigations.

To rehydrate dried, ancient human fecal specimens an alkaline chelating solution (cold) was used. Identifiable evidence of one animal parasite of man was found — the eggs of Enterobius vermicularis. Rhahditoid nematodes in one specimen and mites in many probably invaded the feces after deposition. If the nematodes were a maize parasite, they might have caused crop loss, if present in large enough numbers. The seriation of mites in specimens from different strata may provide evidence concerning their evolution in the Mesa Verde area.

The magnetic results obtained in teste at two sites did not indicate the location of buried archaeological features and suggest that magnetometry is not suited to sites of the type found on Wetherill Mesa.

Midden analyses were made from 15 sample columns raken at four Wetherill Mesa sites in Mesa Verde National Park. The components in these columns were studied in accordance with methods that have proved successful at California archaeological sites. The sampling did no more than reflect data already established by standard procedures regarding the life of the prehistoric inhabitants. The number of sample columns was much too small to determine conclusively whether this type of analysis can be useful for Southwestern sites.

By careful extraction of minute objects from feces and midden debris at a site, the archaeologist can add greatly to ecological and biological knowledge regarding the human inhabitants of the site, as well as the flora and fauna of the locality. The techniques for sifting through the material to obtain small objects are not complicated, and inexpensive equipment is readily available. Soil and fecal samples from dry, protected sites, such as those of Mesa Verde, will yield the best results.

Analysis of color and cuticular patterns of mammalian hair and examination of epidermal plant cells may be used to identify fragmentary remains from archaeological sites when standard taxonomic procedures cannot be applied. The techniques described will help the non-biologist decide when to request assistance from the specialist. An inexpensive apparatus for taking photomicrographs is described.

Not much work has been done on identification of feather fragments because of a deficiency in methods and a lack of trained persons. One individual, trained in these techniques, was tested intensively to determine the accuracy of his identifications. Besides identifying archaeological feather fragments, he also identified small fragments from artifacts (such as cotton socks), which is one example of the usefulness of this technique.

Feathers provided by the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project archaeologists were cleaned, placed on glass mounts, and examined under a microscope. Some initial comparisons were made from macrocharacters. Structures differ from species to species, and trial-and-error comparisons were made until the characteristics of the unknown species matched those of a known species. A file of photographs with characters of known species was kept and was useful for preliminary matching. Most of the material was identified as coming from Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), with Mourning Dove (Zenaidura macroura) also being identified.

Materials recovered in archaeological research expand in numbers, while increasingly refined analytical techniques make sorting more complicated than ever. Welldesigned data sheets, tailored to a specific job and carrying space for on-the-spot illustrations, expedite field reporting and report writing. For analysis and comparison of limited amounts of material, edge-punched cards provide accessible storage of information, as well as rapid means of comparing data. Cards are available in a number of types and sizes and may offer an excellent alternative step to rough sorting or computer programming. Examples are presented of three applications of edge-punched cards in analyzing various kinds of data in the hands of three persons who worked on the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project. These individual approaches indicate the variety, flexibility, and sophistication of punch-card recording and analysis.

The view camera, with negative format of 4x5 or larger, is a versatile tool for accurately recording a site area and materials taken from an excavation. The camera can correct distortions and present a more natural perspective than either the 35 mm. or 2¼ × 2¼ camera. Examples show the need for using correct lenses when photographing artifacts. The large format negative does not require as much enlargement as does the 35 mm. or 2¼ × 2¼ negative, an important consideration when preparing prints for publication, thus minimizing slight defects in the negative. Filing the larger negatives is easier, and in subsequent handling (for making additional prints) there is less possibility that they will be damaged.