Having been involved in raising goats for show, I find it extremely unlikely that such animals would have ingested pitch or asphalt. Goats browse, but on wood products, including tree bark, leaves of shrubs, grass, etc.
David Suter Saint Martin's College -----Original Message----- From: David C. Hindley To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 11/10/01 8:31 AM Subject: RE: orion-list Radiocarbon datings Geoff Hudson asks: >>Is there any possibility that 'old' carbon was in the food chain of animals reared in the Dead Sea area, and whose skins were used for the Scrolls?<< From, perhaps, the eating pitch or asphalt that had risen to the surface of the Dead Sea? I've never heard of sheep or goats doing this, but it is a distinct possibility. In the past I have been amazed at the kind of things reindeer eat on occasion (amanita muscaria mushrooms and urine tainted snow), so eating pitch, etc., is not impossible. However, I do know that ingestion of even small amounts of distilled petroleum products, including naphthalene, can be deadly, so I wonder if this could have occurred to any great degree. Another possibility might be petroleum products (naphthalene?) that were used in the preparation of parchment. The medieval process using quicklime to remove the hair and soften the hide was known from about the 4th century, I understand, but it is not certain what was done prior to this, especially to soften the skins. The process of hide tanning used by native American Indians included using oil (although it was an oil of animal origin) to soften the skin, along with salt to dehair it. Respectfully, Dave Hindley Cleveland, Ohio, USA For private reply, e-mail to "Suter, David" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: "unsubscribe Orion." Archives are on the Orion Web site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il. (PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILER BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE)
