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I am working on a Utility index for domestic pig and wild boar as part of my Phd research, and have just this week burtchered a wild boar for the purpose. with regard to the comments made so far., i would note that skinning is a contentious and not easily resolved issue with regard to pig butchery. Whilst it is possible to skin a pig, and obtain pig "leather", one must be careful not to assume such a practice; for unlike other animals the skin is edible. it is likely that if the leather was not sought, then the hair would simply have been burnt off and the skin left in tact with the meat. Furthermore, if one does intend to skin a pig, this is not as easy as it may seem. Whilst in most animals there is a clear distinction between the hide and the meat, with a separating membrane, and the possibility of simply pulling one apart from the other (if sufficiently fresh); in the pig this is not the case. Skinning would be an arbitrary practice,with the butcherer making the decision as to where in the fat layer to cut. THus skinning marks could possibly vary from one episode/ animal/ butcherer to the next. And as stated previously, the layer of fat would protect most bones from skinning marks. For the purposes of my study, assuming that the skin is edible and utlitsed, i am not skinning the pig. And so all cut marks on my samples are disarticulation and defleshing (and frustration). Finally with regard to the butchery marrks noted on the feet bones. carpals and tarsals are notoriously difficult areas of disarticulation - and any marks on these are predominantly disarc, rather than skinning. but this is the least fat covered part of the pig skelton and so most susceptible to skinning marks... plus "meat" removal from metapodials and phalanges should refer to the Jelly like fatty tissue and tendons - there is comparatively little meat on the hocks. don'tknow if this helps... perhaps i'll skin the next one. Laura -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Laura Pugsley Grahame Clark Zooarchaeology Laboratory Newnham College Department of Archaeology Sidgwick Avenue Cambridge University Cambridge Downing Street CB3 9DF CB2 3DZ Tel: 01223 566954 Tel: 01223 339349 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%