Buffalo Bone

[BosnMate]

I was camped near Red Lodge, Montana, and took a side trip down to Cody to the Buffalo Bill Museum, and on display were some buffalo bones with cut marks on them, showing that the animal had been butchered for meat. Back at camp, a fellow had been digging a buffalo jump on a friends ranch, and he had bones and teeth for sale. I checked his bones with my newly gained knowledge, found cut marks just like at the museum and bought the bone for my collection. I think it's interesting, and I don't know if the cuts were with stone tools or a steel knife, but simply because the cuts are so fine, I'm opting for them being made by a trade knife, which would date the bone to the early 1800's.

 

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[Tnmountains]

Very cool to see a jump off site. I have seen marks sharper than trade knifes on bone, Larson has a couple tons of butchered buffalo bone. Might see what his Mandan site shows.. Thanks Bosnmate.

 

[SOHIO]

Don't underestimate the precision of flint some hopewell bladelets were as sharp as surgeons knives today........

 

[SOHIO]

not saying your wrong though

 

[larson1951]

at the site twitko and i maintain we can date the scapula shovels and hoes by looking at how the ribs on the back side were removed......
......some w/stone and some w/steel knives
must have been thousands of buffalo

i like your piece mr bosnmate, it's cool

 

[BosnMate]

Interesting post BosnMate. Your bone looks like a thoracic vertebrae.
Did the digger mention what type of points he was finding to help give
you an idea of the site's age?

No, and I didn't think to ask, I'd just returned from Cody, and was tickled to ad to my collection with my new found knowledge.

 

[GatorBoy]

Just thought this would be a good spot to add some butcher marked deer leg bone from a middle archaic site ... I'm not sure how much will be visible in the photos... but some of the cut marks look like they could have been done with a razor blade.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Very cool to see a jump off site. I have seen marks sharper than trade knifes on bone, Larson has a couple tons of butchered buffalo bone. Might see what his Mandan site shows.. Thanks Bosnmate.

I suspect that different sorts of stone tools were used for different butchering purposes. For example cutting through the tendons of leg muscles might require a more substantial tool than carving a loin roast. Here's an example of cuts made through tendons near a joint.

​

 

[BosnMate]

I suspect that different sorts of stone tools were used for different butchering purposes. For example cutting through the tendons of leg muscles might require a more substantial tool than carving a loin roast. Here's an example of cuts made through tendons near a joint.

View attachment 715960View attachment 715961​

Thanks for this post, I think this is really interesting, and will change my guess from knife to unknown.

 

[BosnMate]

Just thought this would be a good spot to add some butcher marked deer leg bone from a middle archaic site ... I'm not sure how much will be visible in the photos... but some of the cut marks look like they could have been done with a razor blade.

View attachment 715800



View attachment 715802

Thanks for the post, very informative and I've learned something.

 

[Paleopilot]

Just thought this would be a good spot to add some butcher marked deer leg bone from a middle archaic site ... I'm not sure how much will be visible in the photos... but some of the cut marks look like they could have been done with a razor blade.

View attachment 715800



View attachment 715802

Those marks look alot like "gnaw marks", not uncommon to find. Wolves, and other carnivorous predators left a lot of evidence of their voracious appetites.

 

[kuger]

Very interesting!We have two jumps on the adjacent property of ours in Montana(Quite a few in the area)and I have never dug em.Have packed lots of bone home.I will have to look!

Something I found with a Buffalo I killed several years ago with bow and arrow was the Indians likely ran more off cliffs than they shot with archery equipt.I was using modern gear and I will just leave it at that

 

[GatorBoy]

Nah. Here's some knaw marks for you.
Teeth don't make single cuts.. they are in pairs at the very least PaleoPiolet

 

[Tnmountains]

Now here are some gnaw marks.

 

[GatorBoy]

Now here are some gnaw marks.

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=716169"/>

Looks like the bone was the meal

 

[Tnmountains]

Looks like the bone was the meal

Just beavers and muskrats making dens in trash pits. That was done when the bone was fresh long, long time ago. They get the minerals out. The bone has to be pretty fresh and soft for a gnaw like that. But it was a meal. Kinda like squirrels and mice eating dropped antlers in the spring but these teeth marks are from a large burrowing animal. I thought beaver .

 

[kuger]

Just beavers and muskrats making dens in trash pits. That was done when the bone was fresh long, long time ago. They get the minerals out. The bone has to be pretty fresh and soft for a gnaw like that. But it was a meal. Kinda like squirrels and mice eating dropped antlers in the spring but these teeth marks are from a large burrowing animal. I thought beaver .

Do yall have porcupines TN?

 

[larson1951]

Those marks look alot like "gnaw marks", not uncommon to find. Wolves, and other carnivorous predators left a lot of evidence of their voracious appetites.

i agree the the bottom image looks like wolf or coyote teeth marks

 

[Harry Pristis]

Just beavers and muskrats making dens in trash pits. That was done when the bone was fresh long, long time ago. They get the minerals out. The bone has to be pretty fresh and soft for a gnaw like that. But it was a meal. Kinda like squirrels and mice eating dropped antlers in the spring but these teeth marks are from a large burrowing animal. I thought beaver .

Fresh bone is not softer than weathered bone. Bone is primarily composed of hydroxyapatite and collagen. Hydroxyapatite is an inorganic compound of calcium, phosphate, and hydroxide which is organized in a crystal latticework that gives bone (and teeth) structural rigidity. It preserves well as a fossil under some conditions.

Collagen is a fiberous protein that serves as connective tissue in bones and muscles. It does not preserve well. The collagen decomposes in a relatively short time, leaving behind the more resistant hydroxyapatite -- the minerals which the rodents are seeking.

(My guess is that vegetarians like porcupines, beavers, and muskrats would prefer weathered bone because that bone would contain no animal protein. But, that's just my guess.)

 

[GatorBoy]

Have fun y'all.. hope you figure it out..haha