[Bonetools] likelihood of beaver tooth found on the Thames foreshore having been used as a tool

[Colleen Batey]

Hia..is this definately a tooth? It looks from the pictures that it could
be a segment of jet or lignite armring.. examples are known from Viking
graves in Scotland for sure, maybe there are Roman examples too.
Good luck,Colleen Batey

On Tue, 10 Jun 2025, 17:58 Nathalie Buttimore, <natbuttimore at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 
>
> Hi all,
>
> Not a bone object but a tooth, which I hope is ok.
>
> On Sunday I found what I’m pretty sure is a beaver tooth while mudlarking
> on the Thames foreshore at Putney, an area which can bring up prehistoric,
> Roman and Anglo-Saxon finds. The tooth, having been in the Thames mud for a
> few centuries at least, is completely darkened. The front side of the tooth
> is very shiny and solid looking, whilst the back looks much more fragile
> and has a crack. The root end looks like it might have been purposely cut
> though it might be possible that it’s just a very clean break. Obviously I
> would love for it to have been purposely worked and used as a tool or an
> amulet but having no other examples to compare it with I have no idea how
> likely that is.
>
> Another concern I have is preservation. The boar tusks that are found on
> the foreshore disintegrate rapidly after emerging from the mud and I would
> really not like for that to happen to this tooth. Teeth generally survive
> well but I don’t know of any other beaver teeth finds and it does have a
> crack.
>
> Is there any advice or information anyone could give me about preservation
> and finding out if it has any signs of having been used as a tool?
>
> Attached are photos of the tooth.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nat
>
>
> [image: IMG_0240.jpeg]
>
> [image: IMG_0246.jpeg]
>
> [image: IMG_0242.jpeg]
>
> [image: IMG_0241.jpeg]
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Bonetools mailing list
> Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
> https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0240.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 505854 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0008.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0246.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 457681 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0009.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0242.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 411535 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0010.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0241.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 452388 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0011.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0242.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 411535 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0012.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0246.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 457681 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0013.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0241.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 452388 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0014.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IMG_0240.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 505854 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20250610/dc6070ae/attachment-0015.jpeg>