Hi all,
I suggest that previous zooarch correspondance on equid withers heights is checked by those interested, but here is a brief summary of what I think I have said before.
The following factors are from May (I have given full ref in previous correspondance) and are more accurate than those of Kiesewalter quoted in Von den Driesch and have been calculated for use with both Gl and Ll (but make sure you use the right factor with the right measurement!)
Humerus 4.868 x Ll or 4.934 x GL
Radius 4.317 x Ll or 4.111 x GL
Metacarpal 6.403 x Ll or 6.102 x GL
Femur 3.501 x Ll or 3.501 x GL (yes they are supposed to be the same)
Tibia 4.361 x Ll or 3.947 x GL
Metatarsal 5.331 x Ll or 5.239 x GL
As in previous correspondance I have discussed the fact that that factor for the Femur seems to consistently underestimate the withers height for many skeletons, so I would advise against using this element in isolation.
The May (and other) factors are based on horses and therefore strictly should only be applied to them. Also work I have done on complete skeletons of donkeys and mules has shown that for all bones except the femur (for reasons given above) and the tibia (proportionatly longer in donkeys and mules) the horse derived factors can be used as an estimate of withers height. The results are sufficiently accurate for comparison between individuals but may not be as accurate an indication of true height as for the horses from which the factors derive.
Hope this of help to all interested
Cluny Johnstone
----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Maher
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 11:34 PM
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] horse formula...
Terry:
Does that formula relate specifically to horses or can it also be used for other equids?
Ed Maher
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Terry O'Connor <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] horse formula...
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:04:43 +0100
>Hi Charlie, and other horse measurers,
>
>The famous Von den Driesch & Boessneck paper on withers height
>reconstruction IS in German, but the tables and illustrations are
>readily understood in any language. From their Table 3, which gives the
>reconstruction factors derived by Kiesewalter in the 1880s, the
>following may be what you need:
>Femur 3.51 x gross lateral length (GLl)
>Tibia 4.36 x Lateral length
>Metatarsus 5.33 x Lateral length
>
>Terry
>
>***********************************
>Prof Terry O'Connor
>Department of Archaeology
>University of York
>Kings Manor
>York YO1 7EP
> http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/staff/OConnor.htm
>Editor, International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
>http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5488
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charlie Stokes
>Sent: 22 August 2005 15:58
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [ZOOARCH] horse formula...
>
>
>Can anybody help with a formula for calculating
>withers height for horses? (I've got most of the back
>end).
>
>I know Von den Dreisch gives one, but I don't have
>access to the article, nor do I read German!
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Charlie
>
>
>
>
>
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