Bone tool ??

[villagenut]

Found this bone fragment in my sifter at kitchen midden site where other finds have been stp, stone and shell tools and lots of old bone fragments, many with cut and percussion breakage marks. A few bone pieces have shown some polish as if they were pins but not really sure of some like this one. This doesn't look normal to me, looks like it was polished up at the one end like it was part of a handle? What.do you all think ? Thanks for looking,vn

 

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[Tdog]

Looks like a K9 tooth to me--obviously broken.

 

[welsbury]

Tdog is right on a tooth of some sort

 

[villagenut]

I had thought it may be the base of a horn or antler but did not think those (or a tooth ) would be hollow. This is about 2 1/2 inches long.

 

[villagenut]

you know, the more I look at it now with the canine suggestion....I can see it now, I see what looks like growth rings in pic one about half way up the section. It must have been a big cat, perhaps a huge panther.

 

[BIGSCOTT]

Im thinking base of a small bovine horn also

 

[dirstscratcher]

Im thinking base of a small bovine horn also

I agree, teeth aren't going to defoliate like that, nor have that big center hollow. My first impression was bison horn.

 

[joshuaream]

Given the size, it looks like a small bear tooth to me but it could be from many animals, they aren't hollow, but the "pulp" at the center can erode away. The enamel will delaminate and come off.

Too small to be a horn core.

 

[Older The Better]

I’m seeing enamel so I’m going tooth as well

 

[Tdog]

I didn't pay enough attention to the "ruler" in the background when I sad K9. That tooth is over 2" long but still is some kind of mammal tooth I believe. Everyone realizes that the majority of it was below the maxilla gum line right?

 

[Garscale]

Bear or wolf tooth

 

[villagenut]

All very helpful information, so the polished area was below the gum line. I have found other teeth here but they were all obvious to me. All of the bone frags are calcified in appearance....probably pretty old. Thanks all.

 

[Tdog]

so the polished area was below the gum line.

No. The long, rough area is the root.

 

[villagenut]

No. The long, rough area is the root.

Ok, wow that must have been a big tooth. Yes it does look like enamel...to me I at first thought it was hand altered/polished but now I think I get it. So probably bear?

 

[Tdog]

Ok, wow that must have been a big tooth. Yes it does look like enamel...to me I at first thought it was hand altered/polished but now I think I get it. So probably bear?

We don't have bear in my immediate area so I don't have hands on knowledge about that but I have seen coyote and dog teeth in and out of sculls. That one looks very familiar as it came from a large mammal such as a K9 or similar animal with a "snout".

 

[villagenut]

Well, we have Panthers here in Florida and hogs and bears too. But as old as this tooth is, the quantity and sizes of these animals back then must have been larger than today. It was probably hunted by the Natives and it's bones ended up in the midden as one would expect. I have bone examples from the midden but have no idea how to distinguish one type from another. Thank you Tdog for all of your insight

 

[Mine Shaft]

What about a baby Woolly Mammoth tusk

 

[Tdog]

What about a baby Woolly Mammoth tusk

We don't have those in my immediate area either.

 

[villagenut]

there has been mammoth fossils found in florida but I doubt this is one of them....

 

[Older The Better]

It’s likely a carnivore/omnivore, I’m seeing a canine tooth,
Here’s some coyote teeth I picked up in the woods a long time ago, seem pretty close