Bone Collecting: The Dos and the Don’ts

sympatheticact:

Actually what this post is really about is a bunch of information from other sources on how to clean and prepare bones and feathers for safe handling so that I don’t have to keep a hundred bookmarks. Some other people may enjoy this information too.

From The Bone Room’s FAQ on Maceration:

I found a bone, how do I clean it?

First of all, don’t boil or bleach bone! Boiling causes fat to soak into the bone, resulting in a greasy, yellowish specimen. Superficial grease can be removed with ammonia and certain industrial solvents, but this is an unpleasant process and cannot remove deep grease which will eventually migrate to the bone surface. Chlorine based bleach irreparably damages the bone itself, resulting in chalky, weak, extremely porous specimens that will turn to bone meal with age. 

So, how do you really clean bone?

Maceration – Using bacterial action to clean bone

This is the simplest method of cleaning bone.

1. Remove any remaining tissue or hide from the bone
2. Immerse the bone in a container of water.
3. Leave the container in a warm location where you won’t mind the smell.
4. Periodically pour the greasy, smelly water out (gardens love it!) and replace with fresh water.
5. When the water runs clear, the bacteria have run their course.
6. Soak the bone in regular drugstore strength hydrogen peroxide until it reaches the whiteness you prefer. This also sterilizes the bone.
7. You’re done!

Other fabulous links with information on how to do this come from Sarah Anne Lawless’ blog:

Dem Bones: Skulls & Bones in Magic & Ritual

The Girl Who Found a Feather