Kathryn,
The are jolly nice, the only comment I can make is that the larger long bone looks like whalebone to me, the boxy structure of the cancellous bone combined with the thin cortical bone at one end suggests cetacea - however the much thicker cortical bone at the finely carved end is a bit more perplexing. This would have to be a smaller cetacea mind - so possibly another sea animal?
Normallly finely carved whale bone is from the mandible as it is the densest material. The porositiy of the other worked material also suggests cetacea - the carpals.
Hope this helps - photos are very tricky.
Jacqui
>>> Katheryn Twiss <[log in to unmask]> 01/05/2007 18:27:57 >>>
Hello,all:
An Ecuadorian student of mine brought in a few worked bone* artifacts that
were given to her by a family friend. They are presumably archaeological
pieces from Ecuador; she believes that they are looted artifacts, probably
from the coast, but she has no direct information on this.
I have posted pictures at the Alexandria Archive site, at
http://www.alexandriaarchive.org/icaz/icazForum/viewtopic.php?t=884.
Can anyone associate the artifacts with any particular era, or tell me
anything about them? Suggest what best to do with them?
She is quite happy to donate them to a museum, in whatever country, or to
do whatever else is deemed best.
Thank you!
Kathy Twiss
*The bifurcated tube-shaped pieces seen in the scanned images are not
bone. The 3 elaborately carved other pieces are.
-------------------------------------
Katheryn C. Twiss
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364
631-632-1539
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