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Dear Julia: I fear that it is unlikely that general guidelines for bone cleaning would be advisable. The physical condition of buried bone is a complicated outcome of taxa, body size, fragmentation, heat treatment, exposure to surface weathering and the details of the sediment matrix. Archaeological contexts and research practices in different regions mean that some animal bone is cleaned after it has been hand collected or hand sorted from dry screens; in other settings bulk samples are wet screened with varying pressures of water; in others bone is removed from sandy soils and bagged with little subsequent physical cleaning. Some zooarchaeologists have been driven to use surfactants like detergents and water-softening products to loosen clay soils from bone. Some specimens have to be mechanically freed from minerals that have precipitated on them. Bone in some very dry contexts may still have adhering soft tissue. Even clean "dry" bone in storage can be moist enough to support mold growth in some climates, while bone from some arid areas can be split apart from salt crystals that grow on the bone in the months after excavation and cleaning. Apart from stabilizing collections for storage, cleaning must be planned to meet a particular goal or range of goals: museum display? identification? examination of surface modification? Measurement? Sampling for isotopes or aDNA? Sampling for plant microfossils? Lots to think about before getting out the pressure washer! I'm supposing that in Britain, the range of taxa, taphonomic history, and soils might be similar enough to outline a range of best practices. But wider than that, cleaning protocols deserve articulation of goals, planning for specific conditions, and experimentation. Cleaning methods ought to be recorded systematically since they could have a significant effect on the research that follows. best, Kate Moore Katherine M. Moore, Ph.D. Practice Professor, Department of Anthropology Undergraduate Chair Mainwaring Teaching Specialist Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials University of Pennsylvania Museum 3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA ________________________________ From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Julia Cussans <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2018 9:30:35 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [ZOOARCH] bone washing Hello All, Can anyone point me in the direction of any studies done on different methods of bone washing (e.g. different tool types - brushes/sponges or the effects of jet washing) and their effect on bone condition, any pdfs and references welcome. I would also be interested to see sets of guidelines that different people follow or set down for their findsroom staff to follow. I am aware of the Historic England guidelines for best practice. Best wishes, Julia -- Dr Julia E. M. Cussans Archaeozoologist [cid:part1.57F0628B.67372835@ascontracts.co.uk] [cid:part2.47B28542.316B1BE4@ascontracts.co.uk]<http://www.facebook.com/ArchaeologicalSolutions> [cid:part4.E9346A62.604C9B3C@ascontracts.co.uk] <http://twitter.com/ArchaeologicalS> [cid:part6.1FFBB2F0.2A70AD89@ascontracts.co.uk] <http://www.archaeologicalsolutions.co.uk> Bury St Edmunds: 6 Brunel Business Court, Eastern Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7AJ. 01284 765 210 Shefford: PI House, r/o 23 Clifton Road, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5AF. 01462 850 483 Ware: Sucklings Yard, Church Street, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9EN. Mon, Weds & Thurs: 01920 469 090 [cid:part8.F10BB489.9B20C611@ascontracts.co.uk] [cid:part9.28500644.0BC12649@ascontracts.co.uk] Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail The information contained in this e-mail message and any attachments is confidential information intended only for the use of individuals or entities named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail at the originating address. ________________________________ [Avast logo] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com<https://www.avast.com/antivirus>