Hi Sylvia
It may not seem related, but you may find the various threads on preparing,
degreasing bone, etc. (whale, horse...) of interest.
I've copied (below your email), Julie Bond's email which comments on
making combs from whale bone. I also have had conversations with palaeo-tools
researchers who comment that marking tools from bone is so much harder than
antler. Horn being easier to use is easy to understand but I was surprised
that antler is apparently more pliable and effected by soaking than other
bone - perhaps because of its growth/structure which may lead to drying
out/being less fatty than limb bones... At any rate, the suggestion here seems
to be that fresh bone isn't a good material - that the bones need to be
'cured' - what essentially seems to be degreased/dried.
Given my experience with curing fresh horse bone, which I assume will be
similar to cattle, the scapula is a lot less greasy than the other limb
bones, but still has grease. Biotex and simmering water is probably best to
degrease, than dry in a slow oven, then maybe simmer in plain water... If you
only dry in an oven be prepared for a thick, sticky, almost tar-like,
orange grease (think glues) and a not particularly pleasant smell.
A web search will also yield sites for people who make reproductions/ bone
objects who might be willing to offer some advice.
best
Pam
Pamela J Cross
PhD researcher, Bioarchaeology
Horses of Men & Gods project
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 10/09/2012 10:33:53 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Hello everyone.
A friend is about to embark on a bit of experimental archaeology - to make
a comb from a cattle scapula (fresh). They asked what method of
preparation would be best.
I am familiar with what would make a good reference specimen, but wonder
if different treatments at an early stage will make it easier to work?
Any ideas/suggestions?
Many Thanks
Sylvia
Dr Sylvia Warman | Science Advisor, London
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Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] preparing whale bones Date: 06/09/2012
12:35:28 GMT Daylight Time From: [log in to unmask]
(mailto:[log in to unmask])
As an aside to this interesting discussion, some years ago I talked to
whalebone carvers in Newfoundland and Labrador. They said that the
whalebone they used had to have been weathering for 30-50 years before
it was workable, as before this point the grease made it unusable for
their purposes. This meant that the bone used had to be curated in
some way; traditionally it had been sourced by visiting old Inuit
sites. One carver said he had tried using whalebone which had been
dredged up from the sea near an old whaling station, and thus pretty
old, but the cold water had delayed decomposition and the bone was
still too greasy and smelly to be used.
At our own excavations at Old Scatness in Shetland, one of the Living
History interpreters who was also a skilled bone carver tried to make
a replica weaving comb from whalebone given to him by a Shetlander,
which had been taken from a beach as clean bone some years previously.
The remaining grease made the bone extremely difficult to work and it
certainly could not have been used as a weaving comb without further
preparation. It suggests that bone carvers in the past must have
either curated whalebone for a considerable time before use, or had
some other method of preparing the bone. Burial in a compost or manure
heap sounds like a definite possibility.
Julie
