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 R�o Talgua and Cueva de las Ara�as, 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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