Hi Pam, seal bones turn up on several of the Irish coastal monastic
sites - I can send refs if you need them.
Sheila
SH-D ArchaeoZoology
http://www.shd-archzoo.co.uk
On 21/07/2011 13:53, Pam Crabtree wrote:
> Allison, I would be interested in knowing more about the
> archaeological context of this find. I have identified grey seal from
> Brandon in England (ca. 650-850 CE), but I am not aware of it from any
> Iron Age or Early Medieval sites in Ireland. Pam Crabtree
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Allison Grunwald
> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 3:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [ZOOARCH] mystery bone from Ireland, helping a colleague
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I'm helping out someone I know try to ID this bone. A few ideas have
> crossed our minds but nothing seems wholly convincing. I am currently
> without my reference material so I'm out of ideas.
>
> here is a link to the image:
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/antiquitas/bone.png
>
> It was found in Ireland at a site spanning 1000-300 CE. I'm not sure
> exactly where in Ireland.
>
> Ideas we've had so far: part of an ilium (checked against their
> reference collection of land mammals suggests it isn't), distal
> humerus, proximal femur... I've even thought perhaps scapular neck but
> that doesn't seem to fit.
>
> The nutrient foramena are clear, and may be the correct direction for
> a distal humerus.
>
> I keep thinking it's marine mammal, but I'm not at all familiar with
> such animals.
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Allison
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