✅ SOLVED A piece of Horn/Antler found with NA artifacts.....what is it from?

[curious kat]

....need an ID on this piece of Horn found with sherds....if anyone knows? Did fine another horn in the forest that was ID as B.H. sheep...but this looks different. Thanks guys



This is the B.H. sheep one.... ....it's falling apart where the other piece is very hard and not shredded like this.

 

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[rock]

Dang I cant even find a deer antler in the woods. We have plenty of deer. I wonder if the beavers eat the antlers, maybe the think its a piece of wood?

 

[chase2]

Kat, what you have is the sheath and the bone core. the best way to explain it would be the sheath is like a fingernail, and the bone core...well is finger bone. Antlers are solid and do shed each year, where as the sheath continues to grow each year. Bison, Antelope, steers and sheep are horns. Elk, deer, Moose, Caribou are antlers and shed each year
Rock, sheds do get eaten by small rodents, but you should be able to find them from time to time.

 

[old digger]

Your two items appear to be from sheep. The first piece is part of the horn core that would have been nearest to the skull. The other appears to be a weathered sheep horn.

 

[Jon Stewart]

Chase explained it well. It looks as though you could have some antelope horn remnant.

With you living in New Mexico the antelope will be on the plains and the sheep will be up high in the mountains. So remember where you found it and that may help.

 

[old digger]

Sorry, but that is not an antelope horn!

 

[curious kat]

rock...."you" are funny!

...OK guys...thank you sooo much for helping on this one! I went & looked at as many pictures of the "bone core" (stupid me, didn't know about it)....and you are right old digger, it is from a sheep (Bighorn I guess), & that shredded one also! Gonna mark this one "solved" ...thank you old digger!

... and also thank you chase2 for the great information on horns & antlers! Getting educated here.

... and thank you Jon for helping, it's always good to get as much input as possible....we're sort of in between the plains & mountains...so have them both!

 

[JRedHorse]

Dang I cant even find a deer antler in the woods. We have plenty of deer. I wonder if the beavers eat the antlers, maybe the think its a piece of wood?

Yes beavers will eat antler but not because they think it's wood, they are after the calcium in the antler or bone.

 

[releventchair]

Antler that is exposed to damp/wet and sun get chalky and break down quickly.
Some do see evidence of rodents chewing them. Dogs enjoy them when allowed too.
The rare ones I have picked up were in pines where needles provided drainage and the trees shade.

 

[painterx7]

Yes beavers will eat antler but not because they think it's wood, they are after the calcium in the antler or bone.

I tell you squirrels are very hard on antlers as well !!!