Hey guys,

 

Here’s one for a Friday afternoon.

 

I have a context dated to the Middle Iron Age and from it I have the remains of a horse skull and mandible. The bone is highly fragmented but some pieces show possible polishing, especially on the mandible fragments. But what stands out are the teeth. The occlusal surface of the molars show a fair amount of polishing but it is the sides (both buccal and lingual) that display an almost mirror-like level of polishing.

 

I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to horses when they are alive, but could the silica in the grass they eat do this?

 

Two other thing spring to mind –

 

1.       the environment the  bones were deposited in has caused this by exposure to the elements/running water.

2.       This horse skull was curated in some way and the polishing is deliberate.

Any thoughts ?

 

As always, many thanks in advance for your help.

 

Cheers

Andy