How to identify bones

[Lowlander]

Hi All

As an amateur archaeologist, I sometimes find bones of animals such as red deer and horse dating from several thousand years ago.

Can anyone suggest please if they know of any museum displaying a skeleton of a red deer and domestic cow? I would like to see which animal my most recently discovered bones have come from.

There is a good skeleton of a horse at the Natural History museum in London, but no cow or red deer.

Many thanks,
Peter

[Ukwildlifeo]

Oxford museum has a good selection of skeletons of animals, Im fairly sure there was a cow or related bovine among them. Might be worth giving them an email and asking

[The Woodman]

Have a look at Oxford University Museum of Natural History site, there's a Red Deer and a Bull there.

The Learning Zone: The Living Animal

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Have a look at Oxford University Museum of Natural History site, there's a Red Deer and a Bull there.

The Learning Zone: The Living Animal

haha great minds and all that...

[NatureTrainee]

Hi there
I work in a museum and we have a reference collection of bones in store which we use to help identify bones that people bring in. We have various species and specimens of different ages so that once we have worked out which bone we have we can then compare them to find the correct species. I am not sure about other museums but we run a free identification service so local archaeologists and other members of the public drop their bones (or other item of Natural History interest!) at the museum and we identify them and return them to the museum.

I am sure that if you contacted your local museum they would be able to help (if they have NH collections). Museums are a great under-used resource with much more going on behind the scenes than on display!

Good luck!
NT

[Lowlander]

Hi All,
Many thanks for all your advice. Yes, I will try my county museum. But I like the look of the Oxford museum and will go there when I next have a free day. Best wishes, Peter