Age attribution in domestic sheep by skeletal and dental maturation: A pilot study of available sources

The aim of the study was to assess the quality of the available evidence pertaining to the effects of sex and castration on the timing of skeletal and dental maturation in sheep. The initial premise was that our present knowldge of the effects of these factors is inadequate, and that currently available published sources and reference specimens are insufficient to allow confident interpretation of archaeological data. A literature survey was carried out, and adequately documented sheep skeletons in a number of major collections were recorded. The results show that the published evidence is contradictory and ambiguous, particularly with regard to the effects of castration, and that currently available reference material is mostly too diverse in origin and in quality of documentation to allow comparison of well‐controlled samples. Some evidence was found to suggest that castration may delay epiphysial fusion during the second year, without delaying fusion of earlier‐ and later‐fusing elements. Overall, it is concluded that much of the received wisdom on skeletal maturation in sheep is poorly founded and unreliable, and that tightly controlled test populations are needed if better data are to be obtained.