Glossary

Find explanations of terms and parameters used for data collection of the Footprints.

Term	Explanation / Definition
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.
Handicap	Under handicap, observations are recorded that relate to deviations from a wellbalanced human being. No statements are made about the medical causes.
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.