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<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Dear Joel, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>I've been out of email contact so have only just found this email
string. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>I've not dealt with much material of this period but I have several
late 19<sup>th</sup>/early 20<sup>th</sup> table knives in my teaching
collection, the handles of which are solid strips of compact bone drilled to
take a tang and are probably cattle bone. Small scale tang knives or pocket knives
could have handles of strips from smaller bones so pig and deer might not be
entirely ruled out but would not, I agree, be suitable for a serious weapon. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Earlier examples of weapon handles that do spring to mind are all from tubes
of bone of a size that had to be cut from the shaft of at least a cattle or
horse longbone, or from solid slabs of whale bone. Antler is also used. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Looking at the worked surface of the handle does not often provide
enough information to allow species ID but the large scale of the vascular
features of whale bone can distinguish it from horse or cattle. In all
cases it helps to be able to see the cross-section of the handle to:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:
l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 face=Symbol><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font
size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><span dir=LTR>gauge the thickness
of the bone and the contours of any natural internal cavity (species and
skeletal element ID)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:
l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 face=Symbol><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font
size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><span dir=LTR>look at the extent and
distribution of secondary osteones (which are particularly prolific in whale
bone)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:
l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 face=Symbol><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font
size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><span dir=LTR>examine the organisation
of the compact bone tissue and the presence and characteristics of any spongy
bone (differentiating post cranial bone from antler and, if it is antler, then
possibly the identification of the species of deer).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Sadly, unless the handle is damaged (the end section of the handle is
often obscured by fittings or corrosion) species ID is generally difficult to
pursue beyond saying, for instance, that the handle is made from sections of a
longbone from a large mammal.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Some handles of the period you are interested in may also be made from
bones of non-cetacean marine mammals, such as the ribs of Stellar’s sea
cow (now extinct) or sections of walrus os penis (baculum). The walrus os penis
can be as long as a man’s arm and several centimetres in diameter. I
think Marloes had bone handled knives of probable walrus os penis from post
medieval deposits in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Amsterdam</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Finally, where morphological or histological evidence is inconclusive, it
may be possible to get species ID from analysis of surviving non-structural proteins
in the bone. Prof Matthew Collins, Archaeological Sciences, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">York</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, heads a team specialising in
ancient biomolecule analysis and they have had some success in this area.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Hope this all helps.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Sonia<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Dr Sonia O'Connor FSA FIIC ACR<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Research Fellow in Conservation<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Archaeological Sciences, Division of AGES<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on"><font
size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>University</span></font></st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bradford</st1:PlaceName></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Bradford, <st1:place w:st="on">West Yorkshire</st1:place> BD7 1DP<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Tel 01274 236498 (office), Tel 01274 235210 (lab.), Fax 01274 235190 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>X-Radiography of Textiles, Dress and Related Materials by Sonia
O'Connor and Mary BrooksCheck it out at
http://books.elsevier.com/uk//Elsevier/uk/subindex.asp?maintarget=&isbn=0750666323<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt'>-----Original Message-----<br>
From: bonetools-bounces@listserv.niif.hu
[mailto:bonetools-bounces@listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of h13017cho@helka.iif.hu<br>
Sent: 12 April 2009 20:08<br>
To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study
ofobject and waste of bone,antler. ivory and horn.<br>
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] BONE USE IN GRIPS OF WEAPONS</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Dear Joel,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> Antler would also make excellent grips for
daggers at least - at least that was the case <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>here in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hungary</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
Sonia O'Connor must have data on this question. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Alice Choyke<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Bonetools mailing list<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Bonetools@listserv.niif.hu<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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