Dear Zooarchers,
I need your help to interpret some sheep astragalus that I found in a faunal assemblage from an Etruscan well.
They look worn or polished, but it does not seem that the intention was to polish them, neither to create some kind of object. There is a more intense abrasion on the medial side, they look 'shiny' on the dorsal side and on the lateral side they look polished but not as much as on the medial side.
Is it possible that these astragali were used as game pieces? Could such abrasions be the result of prolonged use of these bones? Are you aware of similar evidence for comparison? I must add that the conservation of the bones in the well is excellent, and these are the only 3 bones with this characteristics. One of them has a light burning mark.
Thank you very much,
Ornella
