Dear Martyn,

I may be wrong, but my first impression was that the cracks might be  
the result of some kind of taphonomic agent similar to weathering.  
Therefore I would support Leif's suggestion of a taphonomic cause  
instead of bone working. This seems plausible to me especially  
because the rest of the bone surface seems rather eroded. However,  
the pattern of the cracks does not match exactly with the examples  
given in the literature about weatering (see below). The deep cracks  
would be evidence of an advanced weathering state, but they are  
usually accompanied by many fine superficial cracks that develop  
before the deep ones. This seems not to be the case in the shown  
specimen. Therefore something else might be involved here causing the  
specific appearence. De-collagenation during boiling for glue  
production may be an idea, but as far as I know the most recipes for  
glue production recommend to use only the diaphysis and not the  
epiphysis of the bone and the archaeological assemblages interpreted  
as related to glue production seem to confirm this practice. Below  
are some references on glue production from Roman contexts but not  
from the UK.

Regards

Christian


Some references:
for weathering:
• Behrensmeyer, Anna Kay (1978): Taphonomic and ecologic information  
from bone weathering. – Paleobiology 4(2), 150-162
• Brain, Charles Kimberlin (1967): Bone Weathering and the Problem of  
Bone Pseudo-Tools. – South African Journal of Science 63, 97-99
• Conard, Nicholas J. / Walker, Steven J. / Kandel, Andrew W. (2008):  
How heating and cooling and wetting and drying can destroy dense  
faunal elements and lead to differential preservation. –  
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 266, 236-245
• Lyman, Roger Lee (1994): Vertebrate Taphonomy, 354-375, Cambridge
• Shipman, Pat (1981): Life History of a Fossil – An Introduction to  
Tphonomy and Paleoecology, 115-119, London
• Tappen, Martha (1994): Bone Weathering in the Tropical Rain Forest.  
– Journal of Archaeological Science 21, 667-673
• Tappen, N. C. (1976): Advanced Weathering Cracks as an Improvement  
on Splitline Preparations for Analysis of Structural Orientation in  
Compact Bone. – American Journal of Physical Anthropology 44, 375-377

for glue production:
• Berke, Hubert (1989): Funde aus einer römischen Leimsiederei in  
Koln. – Kölner Jahrbuch für Vor- und Frühgeschichte 22, 879-892
• Berthold, Jens (2004): Ausgekochte Knochen – römische Leimsieder in  
Xanten. in: Kunow, Jürgen (ed.): Archäologie im Rheinland 2003,  
102-104, Stuttgart
• Deschler-Erb, Sabine (2006): Leimsiederei- und  
Räuchereiwarenabfälle des 3. Jahrhunderts aus dem Bereich zwischen  
Frauenthermen und Theater von Augusta Raurica. – Jahresberichte aus  
Augst und Kaiseraugst 27, 323-346
• Greber, Josef M. (2003): Die tierischen Leime, Reprint Auflage von  
1950, Hannover
• Schmid, Elisabeth (1968): Beindrechsler, Hornschnitzer und  
Leimsieder im römischen Augst. in: Schmid, Elisabeth / Berger,  
Ludwig / Bürgin, Paul (eds.): Provincialia - Festschrift für Rudolf  
Laur-Belart, 185-197, Basel
--
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Hans Christian Küchelmann
Diplom-Biologe

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Am 20.02.2011 um 20:50 schrieb Martyn Allen:

> Dear Zooarchers
>
> I have just placed a photo of a cattle metatarsal onto bone  
> commons. It shows some deep linear markings along the medial  
> surface. I think they may be pathological as the specimen already  
> has other signs of disease. To be honest however, I'm not sure what  
> these specific marks are or what has caused them. I have placed  
> some more details with the photo on bone commons, so please have a  
> look. Any help with a diagnosis would be greatly appreciated.
>
> The URL for the page is:
>
> http://www.alexandriaarchive.org/bonecommons/items/show/1736
>
> Many thanks,
> Martyn Allen