Dear Alison & Auli: We have a number of use-worn cattle metapodials and
scapulas from Vindolanda that have numerous parallel shallow grooves, i.e.
abrasive wear. We interpret these as being plasterers' smoothing tools.
Apparently the Roman recipe for the plaster used to whiten the exterior of
buildings called for the workmen to mix in a fair amount of sand.
Am I looking at the correct image when I click on your link? The bone
pictured appears to have a V-shaped pattern of abrasion, but it doesn't
look like a metapodial or radius to me, rather the medial surface of a cow
scapula. If that's the image you intended -- I have nothing from
Vindolanda quite like it. The plasterers' tools made from scapulas are
usually those of smaller rather than larger cattle, and the abrasion-wear
is mostly across the proximal (dorsal) border, so much so that this border
is often beveled or even worn down a ways before the tool was either
tossed away or lost.
Our abraded metapodials are, likewise, always those of cattle. The wear is
always upon the caudal aspect of the distal end, the tool not infrequently
continuing in use long enough to wear away half the anteroposterior
thickness of the trochlea. -- Dr. Deb
> Hi all,
>
> We have a question about some mystery use-wear which has recently
> been observed in a number of early medieval faunal assemblages from
> Ireland.
> On the examples so far identitied, use-wear seems to be limited to the the
> flat sections of cattle metacarpals and radii which have otherwise not
> been
> modified. The use-wear takes the form of roughly parallel diagonal grooves
> (of varying depths) - two sets of these grooves are present on the
> anterior
> side of the bone and meet at an angle in the centre.
> Picture has been downloaded to
>
> http://archaeonet.ning.com/photo/img0780-1?context=user
>
> These appear to be the result of wear rather than cut marks - polish was
> observed on the better preserved examples. As yet no patterns in the
> context
> of retrieval or associated finds have been noted.
>
> We would love to hear if anyone has seen anything similar or has any
> suggestions as to the potential use of these objects.
>
> Yours,
> Alison Kyle and Auli Tourunen
>
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