Arthritic horse talus (astragalus)

This model comes from an ancient horse skeleton found in Lehi, Utah by the Hill family (Bridger, Laura, and kids). It shows two ankle bones. One of these, the right rear talus or ankle bone, shows evidence of severe arthritis (pitting and polishing of the articular surface and new bone formation across the bone), while the other is largely healthy and problem free. This horse would have had extreme difficulty moving due to the severity of its health problems. Archaeologists are now using other techniques such as radiocarbon dating and genomic study to understand how many years ago the animal died, and whether humans may have played a role in its life, death, and burial.