Find explanations of terms and parameters used for data collection of the human footprints.
| Term | Explanation / Definition |
|---|---|
| Activity | This term describes the kind of movement leading to footprints. It is defined by parameters like activity type (e.g. walking), posture (e.g. slipping), speed or direction. |
| AD | The prefix "AD" is an identifier for items belonging to the Aldène Cave. |
| Additional Weight | The additional weight refers to the characteristics of tracks when movements of a subject deviate from the normal gait or depth of imprint. |
| Age | The results of the morpho-classificatorical analysis of age are given very precisely by the indigenous ichnologists. In consideration of the fact that such a precise age estimation by means of footprints depends on the respective reference collection and/or personal experience, the data of the indigenous ichnologists are grouped together in age classes according to Martin (Martin 1928) – neonatus, infans I (0.5-6 years), infans II (7-13 years), juvenis (14-20 years), adultus (21-40 years), maturus (41-60 years) and senilis (>60 years). |
| Event | Summary of traces of individual or several subjects in temporal, spatial and contentrelated connection with each other. |
| Footprint | Falls within the class of "Spoor" |
| Handicap | Under handicap, observations are recorded that relate to deviations from a wellbalanced human being. No statements are made about the medical causes. |
| Morpho-classificatory approach | The morpho-classificatory approach for analyzing footprints leads to a knowledge of footprints built up through experience and longlife learning. It is used to record the number of subjects, sex, age, weight, body postures, activities and gait, speed of walking, axis of locomotion, superimpositions and group configuration. In contrast to the morphometric approach applied by the western scientific methods, this approach is conducted by indigenous trackers (San) in (prehistoric) spoor interpretation. (Source and further information: Pastoors et al. 2024, p.98) |
| NX | The prefix "NX" is an identifier for items belonging to the Cave of Niaux. |
| PM | The prefix "PM" is an identifier for items belonging to the Cave of Pech Merle. |
| Physique | This aspect provides information about the shape of the body. This is rather a matter of deviations from a normal physique than a precise definition of a certain shape. |
| Reliability of identification | Particularly important for the comprehensibility of the analysis is the judgement of its reliability on the basis of preservation and visibility. For this purpose, a subjective five-stage classification was applied by the indigenous ichnologists ranging from very good (1) to unsatisfactory (5). The intermediate stages are good (2), satisfactory (3) and sufficient (4); this allows to eliminate dubious identifications from analytical processes. |
| Spoor ID | See Track number |
| Step length | Describes the distance measured from one heel imprint to the heel imprint of the other foot. |
| Stride length | Describes the distance measured from one heel imprint to the next heel imprint of the same foot. |
| Subject number | The subject number identifies each individual (trackmaker) independently of the study area. This makes it easy to follow each subject through the cave. |
| Substrate | The substrate refers to the sediment or ground in which the track was formed. |
| Taphonomy | This aspect refers to the state of preservation of the various traces which can be influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors. |
| Track number | The track number designates each individual human trace examined and listed in the project. Subject and track number together form a distinctive unit. They are continuous and thus allow an unambiguous assignment of the human traces in each part of the cave. |
| Trackway | Here it is noted whether the footprint is part of a series of footprints of the same subject, or whether it is isolated. Each trackway gets a different number. |
| TUC | The prefix "TUC" is an identifier for items belonging to the Cave of Tuc d'Audoubert. |