[Bonetools] Worked Dog and Fox Bone?

[h13017cho at helka.iif.hu]

Dear Tina,
       Useof Dog/Wolf/fox bone for artifacts is very culture specific. For 
example, during the Bronze Age in Hungary dog bone (chiefly ulna and 
fibula) as a raw material for tools is only found in eastern Hungary. However, 
their  canines and metapodials (with hare metapodials) are universally 
drilled and used as pendants in in whole region in the same period. Dog 
astragali are drilled and used as amulets in later prehistoric periods into 
historic times in Mongolia. In the Migration period (in Hungary AD 450-900) 
in Hungary dog and hare metapodials are again drilled as amulets, 
especially among Avar groups. 
    In Hungary, dog bone is never used (except for canine teeth) in Neolithic 
or Iron age, Roman or Medieval contexts. However, dog metapodials are 
drilled in Swiss Neolithic Cortaillod contexts.
     Someof the missing dog bone may be taphonomic, simply not picked up 
where excavation techniques are not fine enough. However, dog is also a 
funny animalwith a unique relationship amongthe domestic animals to 
humans. Thus, they either seem to be very important for amulets in 
particular or totally ignored.

Hope this helps.

Alice