Thanks Katherine
I'm pretty sure there are plenty of grey squirrels in Wales -but I will see if I can get a more precise location for the find.
Many Thanks
Sylvia
Dr Sylvia Warman | Science Advisor, London
Direct Line: 0207 973 3733
Mobile Phone: 07881805347
English Heritage | 1 Waterhouse Square
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-----Original Message-----
From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Katherine M. Moore
Sent: 21 May 2013 04:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] thanks re gnawed bone
Dear List members:
In fact, this gnawing looks very similar to the work of the grey squirrel to me. I have many pieces from the surface of my neighborhood that are gnawed all over, and I have put pieces back into circulation and have seen them carried up into trees by the many S. carolinensis and then fall back down again with more gnawing.
Sylvia would have to tell us if the invasive grey squirrel is at work in her part of the UK.
best,
Kate Moore
Quoting Richard Wright <[log in to unmask]>:
> Herbivore chewing is an interesting suggestion, but the individual
> tooth marks from herbivore chewing appear narrow (though of variable
> width) and wandering.
>
> By contrast, the marks on Sylvia's bone are well-defined, sub-parallel
> scoops out of the bone, each two cm wide or so.
>
> There is a picture of a similarly chewed bone, assertively attributed
> to beaver or muskrat, at
>
> http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/north-american-artifacts/326260-buff
> alo-bone.html
>
> Scroll to about three quarters down the page.
>
> Returning to Sylvia's bone, which she says was found on the surface in
> Wales. I see that the proposed reintroduction of beavers into Wales is
> a topic of environmental and political controversy.
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19194917
>
> In 2011, two beavers "introduced into a 2.5 acre enclosure over a
> weekend in Cwm Einion near Machynlleth, Powys, which conservation
> volunteers said was 'like Fort Knox'."
>
> Assuming the bone is chewed by beaver, and found in Wales, two
> hypotheses come to mind - an escape, or a bone planted in an attempt
> to derail the proposal to return breeding pairs of beavers to Wales.
>
> The origin of the bone itself could probably be settled by stable
> isotope analysis.
>
> By the way, what is the width of the pair of upper and lower incisors
> in the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). I am supposing that they
> are much to narrow to be the cause of the marks in question.
>
> Richard
>
> On 20/05/2013 18:36, WARMAN, Sylvia wrote:
>> Thanks for all the suggestions.
>>
>> The item was found in Wales and picked up from the ground surface.
>>
>> So it probably is modern and I'm guessing the provenance rules out
>> some of the more exotic species.
>>
>> Thanks again
>>
>> Sylvia
>>
>> Dr Sylvia Warman | Science Advisor, London Direct Line: 0207 973 3733
>> Mobile Phone: 07881805347
>>
>> English Heritage | 1 Waterhouse Square
>> 138-42 Holborn | London EC1N 2ST
>> www.english-heritage.org.uk<http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/>
>>
>>
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>> Heritage Collection; have a look and tell us what you think.
>> http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/archives-and-collecti
>> ons/portico/
>
>
Zooarchaeology Laboratory
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of English Heritage unless specifically stated. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it. Any information sent to English Heritage may become publicly available.
Portico: your gateway to information on sites in the National Heritage Collection; have a look and tell us what you think.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/archives-and-collections/portico/
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