There is still a *lot* to figure out about the mechanics of what's going on, and I feel pretty strongly that it will be very different in different situations. The whales that Charley Potter (USMNH) and Jeff Bradley (Burke Museum) processed in manure (+/- woodchips) went VERY fast. The piles were "actively" composting, and generating a lot of their own heat. I shudder to think what a spontaneously-combusted compost heap would smell like if it contained a whale.....In any case, Potter once showed me a Minke whale skull that was done in TWO WEEKS. And even that, he said, had the skull in there a little too long (it warped from the heat). Contrast that with horror stories of whole whales buried for 20 years that still had blubber attached to them when they were exhumed......[probably due to a combination of factors, such as the "whole whale" [e.g., not flensed] part, and a sub-surface burial].
In other situations, with somewhat smaller, but equally greasy critters (harbor seals, Steller sea lions), I've found that just plain sand works as well as, or better than, manure. Granted, my manure piles never got to the point where they were steaming hot (see above). I think that in the case of sand, most of the decomp is strictly autolysis. The sand keeps things moist, but not wet. All the nasty fluids can drain away. And, also probably very important to the whole process, especially the digestion/oxidation of the fats, it all stays well-aerated.
For a horse, I agree with Pam: best would be to bury it in a raised bed, of manure or loose soil. Raised beds have two main benefits---they tend to stay warmer than sub-surface burials, and they also drain much better.
Good luck with it. And as always, take good notes!
---Mike
-------- Original Message --------
> From: "Pam Cross" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2012 5:07 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] preparing whale bones
>
> Hi Julie
> How goes? I haven't chased the Washington people at Burke about the manure
> method despite the amusing irony of processing horses in their own
> excrement. Time is an issue for me, so I'm mostly using biotex soaks, and even this
> is taking a long time - but you'd need some BIG containers for whale.
>
> One thing I've noticed with the things I've read (and I still have quite a
> few to read) - they're what I'd call practical ('cooking') methods, almost
> no one seems to exam the biochemistry of the various methods - something
> I'd be interested in knowing more about. A very quick google of chemical
> makeup Eq manure, not surprisingly, brings up mostly fertilizer pieces or
> manure as fuel. Still, overall there is a suggestion of the effects of
> anerobic, micro-orgs, increased moisture absorb by soil. Chem content descriptions
> are centered on plant nutrients - N, Phosphates (p2O5), potash (K2O). As
> many note, it's the moisture/fat content that's the issue.
>
> Anyone out there know of any studies/papers on the bio-chemical processes
> involved in any of these degreasing methods?
>
> If your friend's not too keen on a manure pile in the back garden - just
> bury them in a well manured soil - well draining - no clay. I assume
> drainage/moisture absorption is the function of the woodchips. Non-acidic seems a
> key to avoid damage. Chalk's supposed to be a good bone preserver - again
> good moisture absorption...
>
> ...Then there's the chemical stupidity of leaving that syrup on a low heat
> while you go spend that mythical 'few minutes' looking at your email! Some
> interesting lava like behaviour to fast cooling in cold water...
>
> cheers
> Pam
>
> Pamela J Cross
> PhD researcher, Bioarchaeology
> Horses of Men & Gods project
> (AHRC, NT, SHS, Bernard Cornwell & MoL)
> Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, BD7 1DP UK
> p.j.cross (at) student.bradford.ac.uk / pajx (at) aol.com
> http://www.barc.brad.ac.uk/resstud_Cross.php
> _http://bradford.academia.edu/PamCross_
> (http://bradford.academia.edu/PamCross)
>
> In a message dated 05/09/2012 11:14:25 GMT Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
>
> Hi all
> A friend of mine - not a zooarchaeologist - has brought back some fairly
> fresh whale bones ("2 huge ribs, 2 huge vertebrae") from a stranding in
> Orkney, which are clean of flesh but still very smelly, and has asked me for
> some advice on how to get them white and unsmelly - they have no access to
> lab facilities or seawater, and live in a house with neighbours...I'd be
> grateful for your expertise!
> Cheers
> j
> Julie Hamilton
> RLAHA
> Dyson Perrins Bldg
> South Parks Rd
> OXFORD OX1 3QY
> Phone: 01865 285216
> Mobile: 07814 433424
> email: [log in to unmask]
> When emailing me, please check that you are using the @rlaha address, to
> avoid confusion with the other JH at Oxford! (@MedSci)
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