title: Make it clear: molds, transparent casts and lightning techniques for stereomicroscopic analysis of taphonomic modifications on bone surfaces.
abstract: This paper provides detailed description of a non-destructive, low-cost, and low-time consuming technique for producing high-resolution casts for the observation of taphonomic modifications on bone surfaces. The aim of the whole process is to obtain molds that accurately replicate the original bone surface at both the macro- and microscopic levels. The high quality transparent epoxy casts produced are analyzed by light microscopy and used to produce detailed microphotographs of bone surfaces. After describing each step of the process, we present some examples of its application in the case of anthropic activity, carnivores, or other post-depositional modifications.
authors.affiliation: IPHES, Institut Catalá de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, C/Marcel.lí Domingo s/n, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Área de Prehistória, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avda. de Catalunya, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Edgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Camarós
authors.affiliation: IPHES, Institut Catalá de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, C/Marcel.lí Domingo s/n, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Área de Prehistória, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avda. de Catalunya, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: IPHES, Institut Catalá de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, C/Marcel.lí Domingo s/n, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W), 43007, Tarragona, Spain; Área de Prehistória, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avda. de Catalunya, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain; ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Barcelona, Spain, florent.rivals@icrea.cat.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivals
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000885:Anthropology, Physical / Q000379:methods*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D059166:Osteology; D013499:Surface Properties