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American Pleistocene Equidae(Horse) Tool Marks


rich1051414

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So when i was growing up, my mother came across a, then unknown to her, fossil while arrowhead hunting with my father. When i got old enough for it to grab my attention, I did research and found it to be from a horse, which obviously makes it at least 12,000 years old. Well a few days ago after looking at the fossil again, I found something i found interesting, very obvious tool marks. I'll attach some images and please let me know anything you know about what I have.

I have read conflicting accounts as to when Native Americans actually came to America, anywhere from 60,000 to 12,000 years ago, but this fossil forces me to believe it is closer to 60,000 than 12,000, as the horses were all but extinct by then.

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Well...it's DEFINITELY a horse...Phalanx I, to be exact. It seems a bit strange to think of a Native American hacking at a horse's TOE for any reason but I suppose that anything is POSSIBLE! As for the date...as far as I know, Equus went extinct in North America at the end of the Pleistocene...approximately 12,000 years ago, so I'm not following your logic as far as the DATE of the find is concerned. Still and all...it is an interesting find!

-Joe

Illigitimati non carborundum

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Hello Rich,

Nice fossil. I see the marks you are refering to but I am not sure they are man made butcher marks. Not impossible but I dont know. Good clear enlarged pictures by the way.

Bobby

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius

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Well...it's DEFINITELY a horse...Phalanx I, to be exact. It seems a bit strange to think of a Native American hacking at a horse's TOE for any reason but I suppose that anything is POSSIBLE! As for the date...as far as I know, Equus went extinct in North America at the end of the Pleistocene...approximately 12,000 years ago, so I'm not following your logic as far as the DATE of the find is concerned. Still and all...it is an interesting find!

-Joe

I was simply stating that the fossil must be 12,000 years or older, and I am no expert, which is why i posted these pictures here. Besides the most obvious gash, the other side has 4 parallel marks that will not come out in pictures, as they do not show relief. I suppose It could be predator and scavenger marks. Thanks for the input :D

Oh, if you are speaking about the DATE it was found, after speaking to my mother, she said it was found at an old gold claim, as arrowheads are easy to find in piles of unearthed and cleaned rock tailings, in south east tennessee

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I also have some non-fossil native american artifacts if anyone with any knowledge could give me some information on.

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It is unlikely that this scratch is as old as the bone. The dark stain on the surface of the bone is cut through by the scratch, indicating that the mark was left after the bone was free of flesh and buried for some, indefinite time. A Native American would have no reason to butcher a bone with no flesh remaining.

I agree with Joe when he observes that Native Americans would have no reason to butcher a toe even on a freshly-dead horse.

For these reasons, I think the probability is that this scratch is relatively recent. If you want to see a butcher mark on a Pleistocene bone, look at this image:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/gallery/image/10382-tapir-radius-cut-marks/

http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page

 

What seest thou else

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

---Shakespeare, The Tempest

 

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It is unlikely that this scratch is as old as the bone. The dark stain on the surface of the bone is cut through by the scratch, indicating that the mark was left after the bone was free of flesh and buried for some, indefinite time. A Native American would have no reason to butcher a bone with no flesh remaining.

I agree with Joe when he observes that Native Americans would have no reason to butcher a toe even on a freshly-dead horse.

For these reasons, I think the probability is that this scratch is relatively recent. If you want to see a butcher mark on a Pleistocene bone, look at this image:

http://www.thefossil...dius-cut-marks/

Thanks, that's what i needed to know. Appreciate the input.

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