<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Dear Steve, <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">I have been looking at your bone tool. It seems to me that the mark is very different from the one left by sawing with a string adding sand. Actually the groove seems to be too splayed and "uneven", though it is always difficult to identify details on a photo. <span style="color:black">I join an example of an experimental mark from sawing horn with a string adding sand, as you can see the groove is very straight with almost vertical "sides" and very regular.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">I am not a specialist of late periods, but your tool reminds me something I have seen in relation with a lathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am thinking at the part of the lathe, which allow to drive it, so the groove could be the mark left by the "belt" during driving (this could then explain the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">splayed aspect). The hole could be a part of the mounting system. It is just a suggestion!<span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Did you observe any polish or other traces in or around the hole<span style="color:black">?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And what about the circumferential groove how are the marks inside, is it irregular in width?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Best regards<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Marianne Christensen</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Times;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <!--EndFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></span></font></div><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><b style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Marianne Christensen</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Maître de conférences</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Université de Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">3, Rue Michelet, 75006 Paris</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">tel. : (33) 01 53 73 71 05</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><a href="mailto:marianne.christensen@univ-paris1.fr">marianne.christensen@univ-paris1.fr</a></div></span></span></font></div><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></span></font></div><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><span></span></span></font></div></body></html>