Rafael, if you have the complete skull + mandible of this individual, look
at the places on the occiput and along the lambdoidal crest where the
muscles that come up from the atlas and axis insert upon the skull. In
cattle that are chronically pulling upward with the snout extra-firmly, or
having to pull upward extra-far (as you would get if the animal had been
grazing in tall grass), you may find a veritable rim of exostosis where
the tendons of insertion have ossified. (Cattle normally graze by pulling
the snout upward/obliquely; horses, by pulling it downward/obliquely).
Incidentally if the wear on these teeth can be shown to be from grass, it
is ipso facto proof that it was grazed and not fed hay -- if that means
anything to your study ethnographically. I don't think the wear on the
teeth is from a bit, though, either. Cheers -- Dr. Deb
> Thank you very much to all for the contributions to bit debate. As I said
> to Simon Davis, the bit issue seemed too good to be true ... The animal
> was very old and as you say, it is very possible that the action of
> pulling the stems of grasses during grazing, caused the effect of "sawing"
> between first incisors and in the foot of canines....
> Thank you everybody for your interest
> Best regards
> Rafael M
> Rafael M. Martínez Sánchez
> Post- Doc
> Área de Prehistoria
> Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
> P/ Cardenal Salazar S/N
> 14071
> Universidad de Córdoba (UCO)
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:50:34 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Cattle bits
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> I agree with Julie - that looks like interproximal abrasion resulting from
> grazing.
> TerryTerry O'Connor
>
>
> Professor of Archaeological Science
> Department of Archaeology, University of York
> Biology S Block, Heslington,
> York YO10 5DD
> +44-1904-328619
> http://www.york.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/academic-staff/terry-oconnor/
> http://www.sciculture.ac.uk/projects/large-grants/cultural-and-scientific-perceptions-of-human-chicken-interactions/
>
>
>
>
>
> On 25 February 2014 10:54, Julie Hamilton <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>
> It's hard to see how this could be bit wear as it appears on all the
> incisors/canines - more likely to be from long strands of abrasive plants
> (grass etc) passing between the teeth while graze is bitten off and
> chewed?
>
>
>
> Best wishes
>
> 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)
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sue Millard
>
> Sent: 25 February 2014 09:14
>
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Cattle bits
>
>
>
> Most of the ancient illustrations I have seen of cattle being worked in
> harness seem to have either a halter or no head restraint at all - images
> of cattle with bits in their mouths seem to be relatively modern and even
> those are not common. I would look for another explanation before assuming
> it's bit abrasion.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 24 Feb 2014 at 22:33, Rafael Martínez Sánchez wrote:
>
>
>
>>
>
>> Dear zooarchers,
>
>>
>
>> I would like to know about the use of tacks and bits for cattle in the
>
>> European Prehistory or Ancient Egypt. Also I would be grateful if
>
>> someone knows about bits marks in cattle canines and incisors in
>> contexts of Neolithic and Bronze Age.
>
>> I have a very interesting notches in a old cow canines (around 10
>
>> years old) from a chalcolithic site in Spain, and I think that may be
>
>> due to abrasion of a bit or harness
>
>>
>
>> Thank you very much in advance!
>
>>
>
>> Link to photos, here
>
>>
>
>> http://zooarchaeology.ning.com/photo/img-4415#!/photo/img-4186?context
>
>> =user
>
>>
>
>> http://zooarchaeology.ning.com/photo/img-4415
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>> Rafael M. Martínez Sánchez
>
>> Post- Doc
>
>> Área de Prehistoria
>
>> Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
>
>> P/ Cardenal Salazar S/N
>
>> 14071
>
>> Universidad de Córdoba (UCO)
>
>> [log in to unmask]
>
>> No virus found in this message.
>
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>
>> Version: 2014.0.4335 / Virus Database: 3705/7121 - Release Date:
>
>> 02/24/14
>
>
>
> --
>
> Graham and Sue Millard
>
> Daw Bank, Greenholme, Tebay, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 3TA
>
> 01539 624636
>
> www.dawbank.co.uk
>
> Attached MIME and other non-readable files contain information necessary
> for your e-mail application to read this message. They are not viruses and
> can be ignored.
>
>
>
|