Dear Lena and All interested,
Aside from the 16th century tannery scene from Nürnberg where at least claws and horns are
visible on cow hides (E. Schmid: Als das Gerben noch in langwieriges Geschäft war...Ciba-
Geigy-Zeitschrift 4/1, 8-11, 1974), I know a very poor quality printed photograph on which the
metapodia of a horse are de facto used as handles during skinning (L. Sotonyi: Anatomische
Untersuchung der landnahmezeitlichen Pferdeknochen von Ötteveny. Arrabona 4, 32-52, 1962;
in Hungarian). Bones of the autopodia are routinely interpreted as remains of horse skins in
10-11th c. early Hungarian burials.
Never the less, a single metacarpus will always be difficult to interpret. I found a complete
metatarsus in a 15-16th c. urban context at Vác-Március 15 square, but refrained from
interpretation (Calculated withers height instead ;o)) See: L. Bartosiewicz: Animals in the uban
landscape in the wake of the Middle Ages. BAR IS 609, p.9, 1995.
Cutmarks would help. It certainly is a desirable raw material for working. Olaus Magnus
mentions deer "leg" bones used as skates, for example (translated in Bartosiewicz ibid. p. 77).
Best wishes, Laszlo
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