Further comments would be welcomed by Duncan on his query below, please.
Duncan - if it's in the north-east then we've had good survival of post-Medieval skeletons at various sites - Low Hauxley (sheep), Brough St Giles (cattle at least), cats/dogs in Durham but they were about 100 years even though, as you know, typical preservation is fragmentary and poor shall we say, the exploded cattle tooth syndrome. Low Hauxley was in aggressive sand but I assume that there was a certain amount of marine shell in it too given a somewhat more benign burial environment. BSG was riverine clay/silt.
Someone on the list might have ideas or papers about rates of bone dissolution under different soil types. What about anything form 'The Pig Farm' - that forensic place in the States that buries pig carcasses?
Sounds intriguing anyway - a special pooch or a modern pedigree disagreement? Do tell if you can.
best wishes
Jacqui
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From: The archaeobotany mailing list [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of HALE D.N. [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 15 October 2015 18:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: old dog bones
Could anyone advise me please on the likely survival of medium-large dog bones buried in a clayey soil about 200 years ago?
Whilst I have a (remote) chance of finding the grave with GPR, I wonder if there would actually be much of the skelton surviving in the grave.
Unusual job, clearly, but advice welcome.
Thanks
Duncan
Duncan Hale BA MIfA
Senior Archaeologist
Archaeological Services
Durham University
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