If there is enough interest, a worshop on the skeletal anatomy of polycerate sheep could be held on Sat 7th Aug, to complement the Manx Loaghtan breeders’ workshop the following day
Louisa Gidney is an established freelance specialist in the analysis of faunal remains from archaeological excavations, see list of published reports. While having in-depth background knowledge of Late Pre-Roman Iron Age to Modern assemblages in the North-East of England, assemblages from other parts of Great Britain, Spain and the Canaries have been studied recently.
While Archaeological Services Durham University and Professor Christopher Gerrard remain regular clients, other recent clients include Northern Archaeological Associates, University of Leicester Archaeological Services, Tees Archaeology, Solstice Archaeology, Northern Counties Archaeological Services. Wardell Armstrong have recently added Louisa as an external specialist.
Through the smallholding, detailed in the Livestock page, Louisa has acquired an unrivalled reference collection of polycerate sheep and Dexter cattle skeletons. The latter were integral to Louisa’s PhD thesis Offpring of the aurochs: A comparison of a reference collection of Dexter skeletons with archaeological and historical data, which is available online at
http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10561/
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- Post-medieval cattle metatarsals from Alnwick
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- Aurochs skull from Northumberland
Selection of sheep skulls from my reference collection, used to demonstrate the variation of horn conformation among polycerate skulls to a meeting of the Manx Loaghtan Sheep Breeders’ Group.
Examples of conference presentations may be viewed on this link http://durham.academia.edu/LouisaGidney
Some duplicate reference skeletons are available for sale, for example:
Please note I am no longer collecting duplicate specimens on the off chance of a sale. However, I am pleased to receive enquiries to source particular species, though game birds are only available from August to February. It is increasingly difficult to source intact game birds in the feather. Game dealers are now obliged to sell them dressed, that is oven ready with extremities removed. I’m trying to streamline the amount of space occupied by my working reference collection so some of these specimens were collected over 20 years ago and cannot be replaced.
Reference Skeletons Available 2021
I am pleased to receive enquiries to source particular species. I’ve all sorts of specimens both in prep and duplicates that I’ve forgotten about. I’m trying to streamline the amount of space occupied by my working reference collection so some of these specimens were collected over 20 years ago and cannot be replaced.
Fresh game birds are only available from August to February, though it is increasingly difficult to source intact game birds in the feather. Game dealers are now obliged to sell them dressed, that is oven ready with extremities removed.
Domestic fowl
Selection of free range barnyard hens and cocks with spurs. From £40
Pathological specimens: hen with healed broken bones. Also individual bones from birds not known to have problems in life: sternum with osteomalacia, femur and ulna with healed breaks, pair of bowed tibiae, articulating femur & tibia with OA.
Job lot £75. (can separate)
Pair adult male spurred tarso-metatarsi with phalanges and pair immature male unspurred tarso-metatarsi (no phalanges) £15
Turkey
Female, traditional black type £75
Duck
Male, domestic, congenital deformation of pelvis. £40
Mallard £40
Teal, dressed (ie oven ready, lacking extremities) £10
Pheasant
Male £35
Red Grouse
Complete £35
Dressed £10
Lapwing
Juvenile £25
Woodcock
No wings £15
No head or wings £10
Snipe
No wings £15
No head or wings £10
Jackdaw £35
Incomplete bird skeletons suitable for handling/test collections
Various species including domestic geese, mallard, corvids. From £10.
Please enquire for full list.
Sheep
Manx Loaghtan 4 horn female Zanfara Riga, Sire Zanfara Harald, Dam Zanfara Latvia. Born 28/4/18, Died 10/12/12. £200 Rarely get deaths at this stage of tooth wear/eruption
Manx Loaghtan 2 horn male, Sire Zanfara Charles, Dam Zanfara Pimpernelle. Born 10/4/12, Died 18/8/12. M1 erupted. £75
Lambs: neonatal £30, older lambs with wear on dp4 £50
Adult sheep c. £200 for females, c. £250+ for four horned males
Leicester Longwool adult ram. £350
Pig
Goodie bags with bits of farmed wild boar e.g. snout, trotters, some forelimb bones, some verts. Enquire for specifics/price
Horse
Suitable for establishing a reference collection or as part of a handling collection.
Archaeological, probably post-med, damaged – missing most vertebrae, metacarpals, most carpals, tarsals, phalanges. Extensive arthropathies on surviving cervical vertebrae. £100
Cow
Suitable for establishing a reference collection or as part of a handling collection.
Archaeological, post-med, complete but damaged and decay on extremities eg 3rd phalanges. £100
Hare £40
Rabbit £35
Events