Bone finds

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

Question: What sort of bones were found to be used? I am not sure what sort of animals were used for bone, but have any whale bones been found? I'm sure there must have been whaling in the northern parts of the world such as as Britain, Denmark, Sweden possibly? Im sure there were plenty of traders fi there were any whalers.

Anyone?
Thanks

[Arahne]

Which period are we talking about? I don't know anything about whale hunt but suppose that You need capable boat, as well as capable harpoons .

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

Well, i would assume through-out the Roman period. Maybe during the 1st cent. AD and on through. I mean there was so much use of bone, how is it that whales or dolphins were NOT used?

[Andrew Brozyna]

Whale hunting? Hmm, that's an interesting thought. I've been doing alot of reading on Iron Age and Romano-British farming / hunting. I have read about all sorts of animal bones, but I have not seen any mention of whales. I've read about fishing and I know oysters were very plentiful. Are there alot of whales around the British Isles? I'd like to hear about whatever you turn up. The archaeologist, Mark Maltby, specializes in animal remains from the period. You may want to look up some of his field reports and articles.

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

Andrew, I will definitely get some more info on that.
thanks

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

When i have worked in the Lattes (Montpelier, France) museum, i remember to have seen a fragment of a bone belonging to a little whale, or a dofin.

Sadly, good bone reports of excavations are scarce.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Possibly the ancients were in tune enough to realise these were sentient creatures, not meat for the table......who knows? :?

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

Good point Byron Sadly that didnt last long...

[Matt Lukes]

Do you mean what kind of bone was used to make things? Or what kind of bone is just fount at archaeological sites- from food mostly? It makes a big difference- bone isn't necessarily species-distinctive if significantly worked and not of size that suggests a source. Bone gladius handles, for example, were most likley bovine or ovine given their size, but buckles and other impliments that are quite carved can often only be said not to be one thing or another that's too small, but rather harder to say what they really are.

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

Hmmm, well I think someone pointed out that bone was used for everything, it was like a modern day plastic. So there would need to be plenty of bone available. I guess what I want to know is what kind of bone has been found, and if there are certain types used for certain items...

[Matt Lukes]

Right, well as I said, bone cannot necessarily be identified if heavily worked, so identification is really only even tentatively possible for pieces with original features; the marrow space of bone gladius handles, for example, would help identify the species and even the actual part itself, which I believe is one of the bovine metatarsals. I'd expect that any of the common domestic species would be represented quite significantly simply by their numbers in any given place. Sheep, cows, pigs, goats, etc. would doubtless make up the majority, and less-common animals would be rather more rare. As you asked about, dolphins would likely be pretty rare since I don't think they'd have been hunted specifically since they're likely very difficult to catch save more accidently in nets, and as others have said, I've never read of formal whaling in ancient times.

So I'd think you'd be mostly looking at domesticated mammals.

[D B Campbell]

Question: ... have any whale bones been found?

I seem to recall that sperm whale vertebrae were recovered from the Carthaginian colony at Motya, off the west coast of Sicily.
(Can't remember the source of the info, though).

The Scottish Iron Age has produced a quantity of whalebone artefacts.

I don't know anything about whale hunt but suppose that You need capable boat, as well as capable harpoons.

I imagine the ancients would be limited to butchering beached whales. Remember Procopius' story of Porphyry the whale: nobody could catch it, and its reign of terror was only ended when it accidentally became stranded on the mud flats.

As you asked about, dolphins would likely be pretty rare since I don't think they'd have been hunted specifically since they're likely very difficult to catch

Not to mention the fact that they were revered by mariners as guardians. Or is that a myth?! :?

[Crispvs]

Worked bone cane sometimes be identified due to its thickness or curvature, depending on how much is left. Many bones present useful shapes or thicknesses for working into man made items. Particular bones (and even particular parts of bones) from specifice animals are often best suited to particular roles, the best known example being the shank bone of an adult cow, which is able to provide thick bone which is more or less flat. Most bones cannot be used for this. Similarly the larger but thinner bones like scapulas on most animals tend to be unsuited to working thanks to the poor quality bone, which is often too porous to be of use.

Crispvs

[Gregg]

Old thread but have a look at:

link from old RAT

[M. Demetrius]

Hunting whales sounds less likely to me than just finding a beached whale and removing bones from it. It's not just these days that whales beach themselves. I don't know if anybody is sure why it happens...except the whales, I suppose.