A Laboratory Analysis of Faunal Artifact Water Retention and Diagenesis

Submerged artifacts can be altered by water and made more fragile. Due to climate change, groundwater tables have been slowly rising submerging artifacts, altering their makeup, and changing the information that can be acquired from them. This investigation was performed on bone artifacts excavated in 2018 in the Southeastern Florida. After identification, bones were initially weighed, submerged in water for 48 hours, weighed, dried for 48 hours, and finally weighed. The results of statistical analyses indicate that some types of bone artifacts can absorb far greater quantities of water, which alter their weight, while others are less receptive.