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Hi Ally and zooarch,
It doesn't look polished or planed or filed down - the actual bone surface doesn't seem to have been modified post-mortem, so I think it happened when the horn itself was still sheathed around the horncore.  The 'sloped' part (between the 'normal' and the 'withered' parts) has lots of tiny foramina - like fast-growing horncore or like periostitis around a wound.

Have you seen Umberto Albarella's paper on depressions on sheep horncores?  This might be relevant for your 'squished' sheep horncore.  I can send you a copy if you need one.

Albarella, U. (1995). Depressions on Sheep Horncores. Journal of Archaelogical Science 22: 699-704.


He describes 'thumb-print' depressions as well as 'ring' depressions on sheep.  On the ring depressions shown in his diagrams the sheep horncores seem to widen out again after constricting - so they seem to be different to what I have on the cattle horncore. 


This paper also refers to a study on cattle - does anyone have a copy of this as a pdf that they could forward to me?  I would really appreciate it.  The reference is:

Muller H.H. (1992). Archaeozoological research on vertebrates in central Europe with special reference to the Medieval period.  International journal of Osteoarchaeology 2, 311-324


Thank you

Fiona

 




----- Original Message ----
From: Ally <[log in to unmask]>
To: fiona beglane <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 10:51:59 PM
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] 'withered' horncore

Hi Fiona, thanks for the photo.
 
Does it look polished? it is a bit interesting-looking. I would think rope scars wouldn't be "all over", but possibly hand-holding, or using the horncore to whipe/scrape something against constantly.... just throwing ideas out there.
 
I had a somewhat deformed "squished" sheep horncore base once (in situ on the cranium while the other was fine) and never really figured it out. I thought maybe it was developmental malnutrition, etc. Would probably be an interesting read if anyone has published on 'deformed' horncores.
 
Good luck,
~Allison Grunwald
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask]" ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]" target="_blank" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">fiona beglane
To: [log in to unmask]" ymailto="mailto:[log in to unmask]" target="_blank" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 10:55 AM
Subject: [ZOOARCH] 'withered' horncore


Hello Zooarchers,
I have put a photo of a cattle horncore on bone commons.  This can best be described as withered.  The first 3cm is perfectly normal, but after this the diameter shrinks down so that the final 5cm is much narrower.  The surface is not damaged i.e. the horncore has not been planed or filed down.  The horncore is affected all round the diameter. 

Any suggestions: disease/illness? malnutrition?  constriction of the growing horncore by e.g. a rope?

The link is

http://www.alexandriaarchive.org/icaz/icazForum/viewtopic.php?p=1134#1134

Thank you

Fiona