Card/Transcription No.: 620-3

620 Compound Bow - piece of

Exterior covered with thin bark.

The material is homogeneous and is of animal origin and very
closely resembles thick hide (such as hippopotamus or rhinoceros
hide) or horn.

When soaked in water the material becomes soft and pliable, which
suggests hide rather than horn.

A thick section examined under the microscope did not show any
definite structure - the edges were yellow and translucent and
the material full of cracks and fissures.
No complete microscopic examination was possible as no means of
cutting or staining thin sections were available nor were
specimens of hide or horn available for comparison.

See section over: -