Horse Bones Research Articles

Evaluation of Structural Anisotropy in a Porous Titanium Medium Mimicking Trabecular Bone Structure Using Mode-Converted Ultrasonic Scattering

The mode-converted (longitudinal to transverse, L-T) ultrasonic scattering method was utilized to characterize the structural anisotropy of a phantom mimicking the structural properties of trabecular bone. The sample was fabricated using metal additive manufacturing from high-resolution computed tomography (CT) images of a sample of trabecular horse bone with strong anisotropy. Two focused transducers were used to perform the L-T ultrasonic measurements. A normal incidence transducer was used to transmit longitudinal ultrasonic waves into the sample, while the scattered transverse signals were received by an oblique incidence transducer. At multiple locations on the sample, four L-T measurements were performed by collecting ultrasonic scattering from four directions. The amplitude of the root mean square (rms) of the collected ultrasonic scattering signals was calculated for each L-T measurement. The ratios of rms amplitudes for L-T measurements in different directions were calculated to characterize the anisotropy of sample. The results show that the amplitude of L-T converted scattering is highly dependent on the direction of microstructural anisotropy. A strong anisotropy of the microstructure was observed, which coincides with simulation results previously published on the same structure as well as with the anisotropy estimated from the CT images. These results suggest the potential of mode-converted ultrasonic scattering methods to assess the anisotropy of materials with porous, complex structures, including trabecular bone.

Bioarchaeological analysis of the mounted archers from the Hungarian Conquest period (10th century): Horse riding and activity-related skeletal changes

Archaeological and historical sources attest that tribes of semi-nomadic populations conquered the Carpathian Basin with powerful armies of mounted archers at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries, which led to the foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary a hundred years later. Cemeteries from that period often provide cases of deposits of archery and horse riding equipment, as well as horse bones associated with the individuals in the graves. The close association between these items and the skeletons, together with the well-known historical context, allows postulating that the concerned individuals practiced horse riding during their life.
 The doctoral research had two main objectives. The first one was to contribute to the research on activity reconstructions in past populations with the identification of skeletal changes that could more reliably be associated with the practice of horse riding, in particular. The second objective was to bring an ethnoarchaeological contribution by possibly improving our understanding of the societies from the Hungarian Conquest period and their funerary practices.
 We selected a sample of 67 individuals from the 10th-century Hungarian cemetery of Sárrétudvari-Hízóföld, which was divided into two groups of individuals, according to the presence or absence of riding deposit in their graves. We also selected a modern (19–20th century) comparison group of 47 presumed non-rider individuals from the documented collection of Lisbon. We analysed different types of skeletal changes commonly used as indicators of activity and behaviour in past populations. Various direct measurements of the lower limb bones were also used to calculate indices of shape and robusticity.
 Statistical analyses mostly revealed significant differences between the Hungarian groups and the comparison group from Lisbon. They concerned some skeletal changes that can be linked to the riding practice and seem to be promising indicators for this activity. Comparisons between groups also revealed that the Hungarian individuals without riding deposit in their grave were likely riders as well. Both objectives of this research have thus been achieved.
 We took into consideration most of the pitfalls inherent to research on activity-related skeletal changes, leading to several limitations, such as relatively restricted sample sizes in the archaeological groups, which should be improved in the future. In addition, the multifactorial aetiology of the skeletal changes represented one of the main difficulties for their interpretation in terms of activity. In that regard, we performed an exploratory analysis of the microarchitecture of a muscle insertion site, of which promising results will need to be confirmed with further research with the aim of improving the reconstruction of activities in past populations.

NEW DATA OBTAINED ON THE ARCHAEOZOOLOGY OF THE ALAKUL POPULATION FROM THE MIDDLE TOBOL AREA DRAWING ON THE EXCAVATION MATERIALS FROM THE ZOLOTOYE 1 SETTLEMENT

The article presents the results of a taxonomic study of the archaeozoological collection from the Zolotoye 1 settlement. The settlement is located in the steppe zone of the Tobol-Ishim interfluve (the Polovinsky District of the Kurgan Region). A significant part of artefacts, including bone remains, belong to the Alakul culture of the Late Bronze Age (17th–16th centuries BC). A small collection (a total of 6 fragmented vessels) attributed to the Alek-seyevka-Sargary culture was also identified. The relevance of this work is determined by the fact that data on the species composition of Alakul archaeozoological collections are predominantly obtained from necropolises, whereas economic characteristics are primarily reflected by materials from the settlements. The study in question was conducted using the paleozoological method. The taxonomic affiliation of bones was determined using the reference collection of skeletons from the Zoological Museum of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology UB RAS along with corresponding atlases. The conclusion about the taxonomic affiliation of fossil remains was based on the similarities in composition and size between the morphological structures of bones. The age of the indi-viduals was determined by the degree of tooth abrasion and by the attachment of the pineal gland. The studied osteological collection includes 2783 items. In order to define the features of its occurrence considering species composition, a planigraphic analysis was performed. To this end, we used data collected from a digital total sta-tion and field inventories. As a result, it was found that the bone remains belong mainly to domestic animals (99.5 %). Cattle bones (47 %) predominate, followed by the bones of small cattle (34 %) and horses (18 %). Jud-ging by age characteristics, cattle were kept for the production of milk and meat. The remains of wild animals are scarce (0.5 %). They include commercial species (elk, hare, waterfowl), which indicates that the Alakul population was engaged in hunting. The comparison of domestic and wild animals, the composition of the herd from the Zolotoye 1 settlement located in the interfluve area with the archaeozoological collections of the Late Bronze Age from the forest-steppe Trans-Urals revealed their similarity, first of all, with Alakul materials originating from the layer of settlements confined to river systems. This fact reflects the general line of development in livestock breeding of the period under consideration, which suggests that the carriers of the Alakul culture developed stable forms of adaptation to different living conditions.

Human and non‐human taphonomic effects on faunal remains from the Late Upper Paleolithic: A case study from the Stránská skála IV site, Czech Republic

AbstractThis paper focuses on two accumulations of horse bones at the Stránská skála IV site, dated from around the Last Glacial Maximum (Epigravettian). Osteological material was subjected to taxonomical and taphonomical analyses. The results confirmed the prevalence of horses, and quantitative analyses indicated a minimum of 10 individuals, which is the approximate size of a herd. The taphonomical analyses did not confirm any traces of human activities, but on the basis of skeletal part representation in combination with other site features, we interpret this site as a human opportunistic killing/hunting site. This interpretation was supplemented by approximate nutritional yield analysis, and the outcome was nearly 1,160 kg of meat. The absence of traces of human activity may be explained by the extensive activity of other taphonomic agents described. Their identification plays a key role in the interpretation process.

Sex determination by talus: A comparative study

Introduction: Heel bone of Horses was used by the soldiers as dice; hence the heel bone became called Taxillus means ’die’. The articular morphology of the human skeleton is subject to modifications by stresses imposed upon it. Since it is a weight-bearing bone, sexual dimorphic features ensure the correct identification of sex in optimum situations when the entire skeleton is present and well preserved and is from a known population, the totality of sexually dimorphic features ensures the correct identification of sex. However, the optimum situation is all too rare. Hence this study aims at the identification of the sex of an unknown skeleton. Materials and Methods: The materials for the present study consisted of 96 humans dry Tali of unknown age and sex obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Centre of basic Sciences, Bejai, Mangalore and on X- Rays of 96 healthy normal subjects whose age and sex are known who were referred as patients within the data collection period to the Department of Radiology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. Results: The right-sided talus exhibited higher dimensions compared to the rest. By the demarcating point method, only a very few Tali were sexed correctly, 14.58% (14) in dry talus. Conclusion: The study provides indications that talus forms one of the important Bone for diagnosis of sex and could be effectively used as an alternative in forensic cases. Keywords: Sex determination, Talus, Radiology.

PSVII-23 Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA D-loop region for excavated horse bones at the Asian archaeological sites

Abstract Horses have played a significant role in the development of human society. As an important domestic animal, horses have been used for transport, labor, food and recreation. It is widely accepted that the horse was probably first domesticated on the Eurasian steppes from Ukraine to Turkestan between the fifth and fourth millennium BC, and the earliest domesticated horses subsequently spread out from their original range. However, we currently have little genetic evidence to demonstrate whether Korean domestic horse breeds originated in Korea or if it came into the area via an ancient migration route. In the present study, to obtain more knowledge of the origin and genetic diversity of Korean domestic horses, we analyzed seventeen 247-bp mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences of ancient horse bones excavated from seven archaeological sites located in the southern Korean Peninsula and Mongolia, aged between the fifth century B.C and nineteenth century A.D. The seventeen ancient horses revealed 9 variable positions when compared with the reference sequence (GenBank X79547). All the substitutions were transitions, and defined a total of 11 unique haplotypes with the haplotype diversity value of 0.9118±0.056. Among the 11 haplotypes, 3 haplotypes were detected more than once and were thus shared by individuals from the same or close archaeological sites. The largest haplotype consisted of 5 individuals, with another two haplotypes containing 2 individuals respectively, and eight haplotypes were singletons. The data indicate an abundant genetic diversity of the Korean ancient horses, and also suggest that the origin of Korean domestic horses is complex, and several maternal lines were introduced into the gene pool of Korean horses after their initial domestication.

Anti-wrinkle and anti-inflammatory effects of a combination of topically applied horse oil and dietary enzyme hydrolysates from horse bone

This study investigated the anti-wrinkle and anti-inflammatory effects of horse bone hydrolysates of <3 kDa (HL) and topically applied horse oil (HO) on UVB-induced photoaging and inflammation in hairless mice. Forty-nine mice were divided into seven groups: −NC, chow without UVB irradiation; +UC, chow with UVB irradiation, +HLL, chow with low dose (500 mg/kg body weight (BW)) HL and UVB irradiation; +HLH, chow with high dose (1000 mg/kg BW) HL and UVB irradiation; +HO, chow and combined with topical application of HO and UVB irradiation; +HOHLL, treated with a combination of dietary HLL and topical application of HO with UVB irradiation; +HOHLH, treated with a combination of dietary HLH and topical application of HO with UVB irradiation. The transepidermal water loss in mice of all treatment groups was lower than that of mice in the +UC group. Furthermore, the wrinkle depth in the +HLH group was significantly lower than that in the +UC group. In addition, HO and low level of HL significantly decreased the level of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and matrix metalloproteinase-9, thereby down-regulating inflammation, including the cyclooxygenase-2 synthesis. In the future, human trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and synergistic effect of HL and HO.

Unravelling the hybrid vigor in domestic equids: the effect of hybridization on bone shape variation and covariation

BackgroundHybridization has been widely practiced in plant and animal breeding as a means to enhance the quality and fitness of the organisms. In domestic equids, this hybrid vigor takes the form of improved physical and physiological characteristics, notably for strength or endurance. Because the offspring of horse and donkey is generally sterile, this widely recognized vigor is expressed in the first generation (F1). However, in the absence of recombination between the two parental genomes, F1 hybrids can be expected to be phenotypically intermediate between their parents which could potentially restrict the possibilities of an increase in overall fitness. In this study, we examine the morphology of the main limb bones of domestic horses, donkeys and their hybrids to investigate the phenotypic impact of hybridization on the locomotor system. We explore bone shape variation and covariation to gain insights into the morphological and functional expressions of the hybrid vigor commonly described in domestic equids.ResultsOur data reveal the occurrence of transgressive effects on several bones in the F1 generation. The patterns of morphological integration further demonstrate that the developmental processes producing covariation are not disrupted by hybridization, contrary to functional ones.ConclusionsThese results suggest that an increase in overall fitness could be related to more flexibility in shape change in hybrids, except for the main forelimb long bones of which the morphology is strongly driven by muscle interactions. More broadly, this study illustrates the interest of investigating not only bone shape variation but also underlying processes, in order to contribute to better understanding how developmental and functional mechanisms are affected by hybridization.

A case study of vertebral fusion in a 19th-century horse from Serbia

ObjectiveTo evaluate the etiology of skeletal changes noted in equid vertebrae from a 19th- century context near Belgrade, Serbia. MaterialsA vertebral column consisting of 15 fused thoracic vertebrae (T2-T16), with right ribs fused to T4 and T5 and small remnants of ribs articulating with T4, T5 and T6 on the left side were accidentally recovered during industrial exploitation of sand. MethodsThe specimen was subjected to morphological analysis and collagen fingerprinting by mass spectrometry for species identification. In order to determine the absolute temporal context, radiocarbon dating was employed. Pathological changes were analyzed macroscopically and then underwent X-ray and (CT) imaging. ResultsSpecies identification indicates that the vertebral column belonged to a domestic horse (Equus caballus) living in the early 19th century. Pathological changes included exuberant bone proliferation, fusion of small articulations, enthesopathy formation, complete fusion between the vertebral bodies, and ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament. ConclusionsPathological changes represent signs of an advanced stage of vertebral fusion consistent with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). SignificanceThis case study provides a clear distinction between diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and other vertebral column diseases in equids. It also presents a new and significant contribution to the nascent discipline of animal paleopathology in present-day Serbia. LimitationsGiven that only 15 thoracic vertebrae were discovered, the impact of this disease on other parts of the horse skeleton remains unknown, as does the archaeological context of the remains. Suggestions for further researchResearch into the frequency of DISH in equids, as well as the historical context of equine husbandry in Serbia will allow greater insight into the causes and effects of this pathological condition.

UBC Excavations of the Roman Villa at Gerace, Sicily: Results of the 2017 Season

A fourth season of excavation at the late Roman rural estate of Gerace (Enna province, Sicily) took place in 2017. Two areas of kilns were investigated. In one, fragmentary evidence for six kilns was found, of which the latest was constructed of bricks bearing the monogram of the estate owner, Philippianus. In its back-fill were wasters of two roof-tile types stamped Philippiani, confirming that these were an estate production. A substantial rectangular kiln was also found 40 m to the east, with exterior stone walls but internal structures which appear to have been built of mud brick, hardened only by successive firings. This kiln too produced roof tiles (unstamped), probably in the fifth century. A smaller kiln was inserted within it in a secondary period. Later still, vertical shafts were, extraordinarily, hacked through the thickness of parts of the mud-brick walls in order to make rudimentary furnaces for an unknown purpose; this occurred in the sixth century, as shown by radiocarbon analysis of a burnt sample. In the bath-house of ca. 380 ad up the slope, the rest of the tepidarium partly investigated in 2016 was excavated, as well as a second, smaller tepidarium adjacent. The geometric mosaics of both rooms had been smashed to retrieve the bricks from the hypocausts below when the baths were decommissioned, but enough survived for the floor patterns of both to be reconstructed. Fragmentary wall veneer included coloured marbles imported from Greece, Turkey and Tunisia. Part of the frigidarium was also identified and a cold pool, one of two, was completely excavated. It had a marble floor except for one slab of sandstone, possibly a non-slip device. A fissure in the pool’s back wall suggests that an earthquake was responsible for the building’s abandonment, sometime in the second half of the fifth century. One wall of the frigidarium used pisé, highly unusual in a bath-house. The room’s floor mosaic was partly uncovered; it appears to have an inscription on all four sides, possibly uniquely so in the Roman Empire. One roundel nearer the centre of the floor was also exposed; it bears the name of Philippianus in monogram form. Study of the animal bones revealed an unusually high number of horse bones; this together with the discovery of foal bones and an equine milk tooth suggests the possible presence of a stud at Gerace.

Horses from atypical Turkic period burials in southwest Siberia

AbstractThe article presents the results of a zooarchaeological research of two horse skeletons from atypical Turkic period burials found in the necropolis Chumysh‐Perekat (Altai Kray, Russia). The remains belong to 5 and 10–12‐year‐old male horses. Macromorphological analysis showed some dental (wear on P2, over growths of M1, and irregular wear of M1) and bone pathologies (fusion of the splint bone with metapodia, lumbar vertebrae). Their presence is associated with horse riding. The pattern of dismemberment of one of the horses and tools used to implement it was reconstructed. The authors assume that such manipulations with horse carcasses is a special modification of Turkic funeral tradition by a local Samoyed group. This reflects an early stage of spreading of these traditions to the northern periphery of the Turkic empire.

Материалы могильника Кызылтау как отражение срубного компонента в формировании раннеалакульских древностей Центрального Казахстана

This article discusses the results of work at the Kyzyltau burial ground (Central Kazakhstan), where 4 barrows with stone fences and 2 fences without mounds containing 21 burials of the Bronze Age and 1 non-inventory burial of a later time were investigated. A representative series of 60 ceramic vessels of Early Alakul image and a collection of metal objects consisting of a sickle, arrowhead, jewelry, and an object in the form of metal brackets fixing a wooden part and a fragment of a wooden vessel with a copper covering were obtained. In barrows no. 6 and 13, the bones of horses were revealed: two animals were laid with limbs to each other on the overlap of the grave and four in a row with their hooves to each other’s back at the end wall of the grave. Such burials, of course, mark high-status funerary complexes, clearly emphasizing their belonging to the horizon of “chariot cultures”. The position of most of the dead and sacrificial horses in the eastern sector and some rather vague features in the pottery tradition, are considered from the position of Srubnaya culture influence. For the site, a radiocarbon date was obtained, made using accelerator mass spectrometry, which allows the site to be dated within the second third of the 19th – 18th centuries BC, confirming its belonging to the early phase of the Alakul culture of Central Kazakhstan.

La découverte d’un galet gravé du Paléolithique final dans la région du Haut Iénisséï (Sibérie du Sud)

The paper deals with the artifact found during the realization of a salvage archaeological project connected with the construction of the railway from Kyzyl to Kuragino (the Krasnoyarsk Region, South Siberia) in 2012. During the exploration of the multicomponent habitation site of Irba 2 below the Holocene cultural strata the Pleistocene remains have been unearthed. These include bones of bison, reindeer, red deer, giant deer, wild horse, brown bear and hare, lithics, and pieces of worked antler. Radiocarbon dates indicate the Final Pleistocene age (ca. 13 to 11 kyr BP). The assemblage belongs to the Afontova culture dominated in the upper reaches of Yenisei during the Final Upper Paleolithic. The rare finding, an unique engraved oval-shaped flat pebble of white marble is worth to mention. It has 37 lateral grooves, cross-shaped engravings in the central parts of both lateral surfaces and traces of unfinished hollows. The nearest analogs are agalmatolite discs from the sites of Afontova Gora II and III located at Krasnoyarsk. These findings are rare in the Paleolithic and could be considered as amulets.

Medieval Sites of Tara Region, the Irtysh Basin: Origin, Chronology, Cultural and Ethnic Attribution

We describe 17 medieval kurgans at Murlinka, dating to the late 1st millennium AD and associated with archaeological sites at Aitkulovo, in the Tarsky District of the Omsk Region, on the right bank of the Irtysh, in the borderland between the forest-steppe and the taiga. The deceased were buried in a supine extended position. Some burials were made on the virgin soil, and some on the buried soil. Most kurgans accommodated one grave, but in some cases the number of graves was two and more. Inside the kurgans, at the buried soil level and above, limb bones of animals and small potsherds were found. In certain graves, traces of fi re, such as partly burned bones, charcoal, ash, or charred earth, were detected. We also found ditches and various structures inside the mounds. In eleven mounds, there were funerary offerings, such as vessels, arrowheads, celts, bits, and ornaments, similar to those found in the graves. We give a detailed description of bronze ornaments and pommels, tools, and belt sets made of white metal, as well as glass and ceramic beads, iron artifacts, details of horse harness, iron and bone weapons, and pottery. Parallels are found in the taiga regions of the Middle Ob, Ural, and the steppe zone of northern Altai. We discuss the chronology and cultural attribution of the fi nds in the context of the ethnic processes that occurred in the region.

Microstructural anisotropy evaluation in trabecular bone structure using the mode-converted (longitudinal to transverse, L-T) ultrasonic scattering

The mode-converted ultrasonic scattering method is utilized to characterize the structural anisotropy of a phantom mimicking trabecular bone, fabricated using metal additive manufacturing from a high resolution CT image of trabecular horse bone. A normal incidence transducer transmits longitudinal waves into the sample, while the scattered transverse signals are received by an oblique incidence transducer. Four L-T measurements are performed by collecting scattering from four directions. The results show that the L-T converted scattering amplitude is highly dependent on the microstructural anisotropy direction. The ratios of L-T converted amplitudes for measurements in different directions is calculated to characterize the anisotropy of sample. The results show that the anisotropy is changing along the sample, which coincides with simulation results previously obtained on the same structures, as well as with the anisotropy estimated using image processing of the CT scans. The anisotropy was shown to increase monotonously along the sample from 0.48 to 0.7 depending on the location. At the same time, the ratio of LT scattering amplitude measured in two perpendicular directions was shown to increase monotonously from 0.6 to 0.67. These results suggest the potential of mode-converted methods to assess the anisotropy of structures including trabecular bone.

Sarmatian Burials of the Kovalevka Burial Mound: Strangers Among Friends?

Introduction. The Nomads of early Sarmatian time is a complex conglomerate of constantly growing groups of new population in the Volga-Don interfluve area. Determining their location is becoming a relevant problem in the current research. The early Sarmatian burials of the Kovalevka burial mound are significantly different from the synchronous array of similar monuments. It makes possible to clarify the historical situation in the final stage of the early Sarmatian culture in the studied region. Methods. The method of cross-dating and comparative-typological analysis of 12 burials of 8 barrows of the Kovalevka burial mound, located in the southern part of the Volga-Don interfluve area, allow clarifying the chronology of materials and identify the specifics of the funeral rite. Analysis. The ceramic complex as a part of the North Caucasian antiquities of the 3rd - 1st centuries BC, can be identified through the presence of iron stemmed arrowheads, common for the period 2nd - 1st centuries BC. The tradition of the ancestral mounds-cemeteries with multiple burials under one mound dominated during this time period. However, the analyzed complexes represented a new tradition of individual burial places, more common in the latter period. Besides, the horse bones, iron bits and a few iron spearheads were found in the burial mound. This is a rarity in the funeral rite of the early Sarmatian culture. All of these innovations are known in the controversial Sarmatian complexes of the turn of eras when the change from early Sarmatian culture to middle Sarmatian culture took place. Another common feature of all the burials under study is a ritual robbery of buried people. The burials were destroyed, mostly for the purpose of their desecration. The bones of the buried were found at the bottom of the grave, and the remaining parts of the skeleton were thrown out of the pit. Results. It can be assumed that at the end of the 1st century BC a group of well-armed nomads entered the territory uder study and was not accepted by the local population. The attempt to settle in the place led migrants to founding their own cemetery in the floodplain of the Esaulovsky Aksai river (local Sarmatians chose watersheds for this). However, this action caused discontent of natives, which led to the desecration of strangers’ graves by the local population.

Efficiency of Animal (Cow, Donkey, Chicken and Horse) Bones, in Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Aqueous Solution as a Low Cost Adsorbent

As a low cost adsorbent source, a mixture of activated animal bones has been investigated on their efficiency in chromium ion removal from aqueous solution. Adsorption parameters such as contact time, biosorbent size, pH, biosorbent dosage, temperature and concentrations were investigated. Maximum adsorption of hexavalent chromium occurred at 35minutes, 53µm size of adsorbent, pH = 6, 70mg/L of chromium ion, 3g of adsorbent dosage and 303K. The experimental data from the adsorption processes were all tested with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Both isotherms showed good correlations. The higher value of R2 = 0.9938 from Freundlich isotherm over the R2 = 0.99 value of Langmuir isotherm showed a better fitness of the adsorption process to Freundlich isotherm over Langmuir model. It can be concluded that any activated carbon from the bones of Cow, Donkey, Chicken and Horse are effective and can be used in industries for removal of hexavalent chromium.

Een gehoorkapsel van een grijze walvis (Eschrichtius robustus) uit Wijster (Dr.)

A bulla tympanica of a grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) from Wijster (Dr.). &#x0D; The animal remains from the native Roman-period village at Wijster (province of Drenthe) were published by Dr Anneke T. Clason in 1967. Most of the remains are poorly preserved cattle and horse bone fragments. About half of them come from animal graves in farmyards or along village roads, which most probably are ritual deposits. At the beginning of 2018, Ernst Taayke found among the material from a grave of a horse and a cow, animal grave 12, an unidentified bone, find number 1266, that he did not recognize. The bone was found to be a bulla tympanica of a grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus), a very rare find. Animal grave 12 was a ritual deposit in the yard of farmhouse 77, dated 3rd/4th century AD. In this paper we discuss how we established the whale species, the possible origin of the whale bone and the meaning of the whale bone in this ritual deposit of a horse and a cow.

Sexing Viking Age horses from burial and non-burial sites in Iceland using ancient DNA

Horses are the most common grave goods found in Icelandic Viking Age graves. Horse skeletons have previously been sexed based on pelvis shape and the presence of canine teeth in male horses over 4–5 years of age. Morphological data has shown that all horses from Icelandic burials that were amenable to sexing were male. Yet the use of morphological methods to determine sex is problematic since they rely on finding a well-preserved pelvis and/or robust canine teeth. Furthermore, quantitative data underlying the features of the horse pelvis used for sexing is lacking and canine teeth have been reported to occur in mares. In this study we build upon and extend recently developed methodologies to make use of shotgun sequencing of ancient DNA (aDNA) for molecular sexing of Viking Age horse remains. With minimal sequencing effort we identified the sex of the largest collection (n = 22) of Viking Age Icelandic horses studied to date, sourced from both burial (n = 19) and non-burial (n = 3) sites. Our results revealed a male to female sex bias ratio of 18:1 in burial sites, versus 0:3 in non-burial sites. These findings support the significant over-representation of male horses in Viking Age graves in Iceland, yet show that –albeit rare– mares could also be selected for ritual burial in Viking Age Iceland. This cost-effective method provides statistical confidence to allow for sexing of highly fragmented archaeological specimens with low endogenous DNA content.

Horse riding and the shape of the acetabulum: Insights from the bioarchaeological analysis of early Hungarian mounted archers (10th century)

AbstractHorse riding is a human activity that has particularly interested bioanthropologists and paleopathologists working on the reconstruction of activities from skeletal changes in ancient populations. However, various sample and methodological limitations, such as the absence of direct evidence connecting the individuals and the activity, result in a lack of confidence regarding what changes should be included in the so‐called horse riding syndrome. Focusing on the ovalization of the acetabulum, regularly mentioned in literature, we analyzed comparative samples of presumed riders and non‐riders to evaluate its reliability for the identification of horse riding.We relied on a Hungarian Conquest period collection (10th century CE), including several individuals associated with horse riding equipment or horse bones in the graves. Direct and easily repeatable measurements were used to calculate an index of ovalization of the acetabulum (IOA). The index values were compared according to the presence or absence of archaeological deposit. An extra‐group of presumed non‐riders from the documented Luís Lopes Skeletal Collection (Lisbon) was used for comparison.Early Hungarians buried with horse‐related grave goods exhibited a higher overall IOA compared with the ones without and those known not to ride (p = 0.049 in the latter case, with left and right values combined).Our results suggest that the ovalization of the acetabulum may indeed be a promising indicator to be included in a set of markers for horse riding. The analysis of further different types of pathological and nonpathological skeletal changes (e.g., joint and entheseal changes) will contribute to a more reliable identification of horse riders in anthropological collections.