[Bonetools] Worked Bronze Age sheep femur

[Lena Strid]

Dear all,

As per Alice's request, I've added links to photos of the entire bone:
http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac137/ossamentaDW/Benbilder/Sheepfemur6_500px.jpg
http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac137/ossamentaDW/Benbilder/Sheepfemur4_500px.jpg
http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac137/ossamentaDW/Benbilder/Sheepfemur7_500px.jpg
http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac137/ossamentaDW/Benbilder/Sheepfemur5_500px.jpg


Many thanks for your replies. Unfortunately we have no artefacts from this site with any kind of circular impressions so we can't match the bone with any artefacts. I can't see any signs of impact on the distal end. I fear the interpretation will have to be tentative. If you have seen anything similar, please let me know.

I'd love to send it (or an acetate strip copy) to a worked bone expert but unfortunately the person who did the preliminary bone assessment never discovered that it was worked, so when we won the contract for the site report, bone work analysis was not included in the budget. At least the bone will be mentioned in the report, so if there are any interested Ph.D. students in the future, they might be able to have a go at it.

All the best,
Lena

----- Original Message -----
From: "François Poplin" <poplin at mnhn.fr>
To: "Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn." <bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>
Sent: Monday, 24 May, 2010 09:09:49 GMT +00:00 GMT Britain, Ireland, Portugal
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] Worked Bronze Age sheep femur


Indeed, the edge, rim seems as "micro-flaked" as from such pressures. And : the distal part of such a bone is very appropriate as a handle, to "stamp", you know. Nothing on the articular surface ? not any impacts ? 

Your's. 

Alice Choyke a écrit : 

Dear Lena - and to add to what François suggests - if this circular edge is an active edge then you really need to send an acetate strip copy of it to someone who studies micro-use wear on bone because clay should leave a different signature from leather for example. I could imagine that if this is a tool used to make a repeated circle ornament it could also have been used to incise designs on leather or bark! I need hardly add that France has a number of very talented specialists in bone use wear so you don't very far to go. 

Alice 


On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 8:13 AM, François Poplin < poplin at mnhn.fr > wrote: 


Dear Miss, 

my very first impression is.. don't you have any circular impression on ware, clay, etc. ? 

Your's. 

Lena Strid a écrit : 




Dear all, 

I have the distal half of a sheep femur from a Bronze Age deposit at a site just outside London. I'm not so good at prehistoric worked bone, and I hope you could help me identify its function. 

The bone has been sawn off horisontally at mid-shaft. The edge is smooth (with an exception for a jagged part of the lateral side). Unfortunately the bone surface is badly eroded, and I can't tell whether there have been any polished areas on the shaft itself. 


http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac137/ossamentaDW/Benbilder/A13MoversLane-cxt5158-Sheepfemur1_5.jpg 

Let me know if you need more photos. 

thanks in advance 
/Lena 


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Files attached to this email may be in ISO 26300 format (OASIS Open Document Format). If you have difficulty opening them, please visit http://iso26300.info for more information.