Dear Karyn,
I am afraid there is nothing out there that can help you pin point these
animals exactly. The best you can probably do with the small mammals is get
them down to order - or perhaps family and then work from fauna's from the
region (Lay's Mammals of Iran for one) to give you a range of possible fits.
The gazelle will also be difficult. You might use something like Mrs Walkers
guide to East Afrcian mammals which may help you discern characteristics
that would distinguish gazelle from sheep and goat. As a general rule
gazelle bones are much more gracile, narrower, longer, with sharper muscle
attachements.
I'd be curious to know what 5th mill. BC site you have in Australia. I have
been tracking down these collections for sometime - mostly older material
from Middle Paleolithic through Ceramic Neolithic. They are all over the
place, but Australia is a new one for me.
Melinda A. Zeder
Director, Archaeobiology Program
Department of Anthropology, MRC 112
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
Washington D.C. 20013-7012
Please Note New Email:
[log in to unmask]
Please Note New Telephone Numbers:
Office: (202) 633-1886
Lab: (301) 238-1024
Fax: (202) 357-2208
>>> Karyn Wesselingh <[log in to unmask]> 06/01/06 1:09 AM >>>
Hi all,
this is my first ever post to this list and I ask you to excuse my strange
request.
I am a vet and part time zooarchaeologist living in Sydney, Australia. I
only recently completed an MSc at Sheffield and returned to Australia last
year. I am looking at some bones from a 5th Millenium BC site in Iran - the
first assemblage I have looked since my return. I have a number of small
mammals - rodents and small carnivores I think.
There is virtually no reference material in this country for species
outside the usual - sheep/cow/pig/horse. I do have access to a rat and fox
but that is about it. I am trying to find a publication that has
illustrations of other small mammals (and gazelle if possible) - I have a
copy of Schmids book - but I was wondering if Gilberts Mammalian Osteology
would be useful - however I cannot find anything that lists what mammals
are included and if it is just north American. I realise that illustrations
are no where near as good as a bone but seems that is my best option short
of emigrating!!!
Thanks in advance
Karyn Wesselingh
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
|