The horn

Bos taurus, female, right horn-core, probably a sub-adult (around 2 to 2.5 years old at slaughter).

I quite like this technique with the black background...

I will leave the bad taste "horn" jokes to the usual commentators, you know who you are, and will be unable to resist ;)

Work was a bit more efficient today, though there were quite a few interruptions, especially concerning a report which I wrote about 15 years ago, which is just being got ready for publication(!) One of the skeletons was very interesting and they have just finished some beautiful illustrations of him and his wounds...

It is slightly strange that this cow was slaughtered at a young age; obviously not kept for dairy. She was more or less fully grown, though, suggesting that it was economically viable to raise cattle purely for beef in the hinterland of Edinburgh during the early 18th century. A big market.

Off to Oxford tomorrow for the weekend. We are such an international jet-set couple ;)