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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Dear Sian,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The light colouration in image 007 suggests that this area of flattening is a recent change. Could it have been abraded during excavation? When wet, decayed antler can be very soft, only hardening up when it is dry. Antler from a Yorkshire Wolds site I dealt with recently was very like this, almost as soft as butter when first encountered and then drying to a harder but brittle and cracked state. Difficult to differentiate from the chalk rubble, the first exposed surfaces of this antler showed abrasion and other damage from trowel, hand shovel and brush.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>All the best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Sonia <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Dr Sonia O'Connor </span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#1F497D'>PhD FSA FIIC ACR Honorary Visiting Fellow, University of York</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Post-doctoral Research Fellow<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Archaeological Sciences<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Division of AGES, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>University of Bradford<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>tel 01274 23 6498 (office) 5210 (lab)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>fax 01274 23 5210<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> bonetools-bounces@listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces@listserv.niif.hu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sian<br><b>Sent:</b> 20 July 2011 14:34<br><b>To:</b> bonetools@listserv.niif.hu<br><b>Subject:</b> [Bonetools] Antler find from Talybont beach Merionnydd, Wales<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Hi,</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Someone I work with at the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust has had this piece of antler shown to them that was recovered from peat deposits on Tal y bont beach Llanaber, Wales. He's got to give it back to the owner soon but I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions/comments. </span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Mesolithic and Bronze Age finds have been made in the area, and there is a chance it came from the clay deposits that lie below the peat instead.</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thanks,</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sian</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>