Journal of Cave and Karst Studies - ISSN 1090-6924
Volume 64 Number 1: 17-22 - April 2002

A publication of the National Speleological Society

GIS Applied to Bioarchaeology: An Example from the Río Talgua Caves in Northeast Honduras
Nicholas Herrmann

Abstract

The presence of human skeletal remains in caves is a common phenomenon throughout the world. In an effort to preserve these remains, researchers often document the material in situ. The application of a geographic information system (GIS) in combination with a flexible recording system provides an efficient means of recording the context of the burial or ossuary. Two caves, La Cueva del Río Talgua and Cueva de las Arañas, in eastern Honduras, provide a case study for the application of a GIS to human skeletal remains from cave environments. A GIS-based investigation offers the ability to visualize the relationships and context of the ossuary. It also provides a means to estimate specific population parameters, such as the minimum number of individuals and the Lincoln Index.

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