[Bonetools] Magdalenian pointed tools, unknown function

Natacha Buc natachabuc at hotmail.com
Tue Dec 16 13:27:27 CET 2008


 
Hello everyone, 
 
Dear Marloe, you said your wonderful tools have microwear... 
In which sector of the pieces (points, middle part...) did you find it? 
Did you look at them at high magnifications? I wonder which kind of wear did you find...  
Can you identify the bone used to make the tools?
 
I have some bipoints here in hunter-gatherer sites of the Paraná wetland (Argentina, late Holocene) made on bone and antler. Yes, as Alice said, it is amazing the widespread of this design of double pointed tools... 
I made microwear analysis on them and I found a particular wear pattern in each sector: one in the point (isolated deep transversal striations), other in the middle sector (rounded), and other in the base (fine striations). At the beginning I'm thinking in the hafted point hypothesis, but surely this tool design can perform different ranges of activities. 
 
Best, 
natacha. 
 



Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:08:39 +0100From: h13017cho at iif.huTo: bonetools at listserv.niif.huSubject: Re: [Bonetools] Magdalenian pointed tools, unknown functionPrehistorically some of these are hafted awls, projectile points and fish gorges, pin-beaters but they are certainly used in a variety of ways that may be very culture specifiic.Alice
On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 6:20 PM, Marloes Rijkelijkhuizen <marloesrijkelijkhuizen at hotmail.com> wrote:

Dear Alice,  It seems that this is a very convenient tool. Any thoughts on the function? By the way, they are also made of wood. Marloes

Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:27:46 +0100From: h13017cho at iif.hu
To: bonetools at listserv.niif.hu


Subject: Re: [Bonetools] Magdalenian pointed tools, unknown function
Dear Marloes,
    The amazing thing about your picture number 2 showing the ranges of shapes and sizes is the similarity to what is forund on the earlies Neolithic Koros cultrue sites in Hungary. The double pointed tools occzur in otherplaces and times of course but this is the period withthe greatest variety produced on both ribs and ling bone diaphyses. Apparently thisidea is being constantly reinvented.
 
Alice
On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 7:16 PM, Marloes Rijkelijkhuizen <marloesrijkelijkhuizen at hotmail.com> wrote:

These remind me of the double pointed rods found in the Netherlands (and probably elsewhere too), but these are made of bone and dated in the early middle ages.. Possible functions that are mentioned are: for spinning, for weaving or as a kind of fish hooks. Some show sign of waer and many shapes and sizes occur, some are decorated. All the best, Marloes > From: marinaevora at sapo.pt> To: bonetools at listserv.niif.hu> Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:07:37 +0000> Subject: Re: [Bonetools] Magdalenian pointed tools, unknown function 


> > Dear J. Marc,> > We have in Vale Boi Upper Paleolithic site (in Algarve, Portugal) two > pointed tools that have similar treatment to your tools, but these ones came > from gravettian layers. Vale Boi site is also a rockshelter and all the > osseous artifacts already studied came from outside the shelter, from the > slope and terrace. We haven't found any bone or antler tools from the > magdalenian layers yet. Only gravettian and solutrean ones.> > The tool VB1, 2, 3 and 4 (foto) is 138mm long x 8mm large x 8mm esp. with > circular section. It's fractured in 5 portions, the kind of fracture is > vertical and oblique.> The other tool VB5, 6 and 7 (foto) is 61mm long x 5mm large x 5mm esp. also > with a circular section, and is fractured in 2 portions with an oblique kind > of fracture.> > I hope it helps.> > Best,> Marina Évora> > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jean-Marc Pétillon" <petillon at univ-tlse2.fr>> To: <Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>> Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2008 9:56 AM> Subject: [Bonetools] Magdalenian pointed tools, unknown function> > > Here is another guess.> > These tools were found at the Saint-Germain-la-Rivière rockshelter> (Gironde, France), in Lower Magdalenian layers dated ca. 18-20 kyr> cal. BP. The excavation is not under the shelter but on the steep> slope before it, so preservation conditions are not optimal and> post-depositional fragmentation is intense. No tool is complete; there> are about 30 fragments.> > These pointed tools are made on complete sections of reindeer antlers> - either the main beam of middle-sized antlers or the tine of larger> ones. They are worked by scraping, strictly calibrated in diameter> (20-23 mm, circular section) and the biggest fragments are about> 180-200 mm long. Close to the active part, the shaping is pronounced> enough to completely scrape off the compact tissue and expose the> inner spongiosa on one side.> > What seems to be the active part of the tool is a blunt point that> often shows a very strange alteration on the tip (see pictures). The> points are sometimes found isolated, apparently broken during use (cf.> bending fracture or « tongued fracture ») which seems to show that the> tool worked in percussion or in flexion with some force.> > These tools are not recorded in the Paleolithic literature and I have> never seen such alteration on antler before. Our haphazard functional> interpretations run from digging stick to ice pick, poker and tent> peg. Anyone who has ever seen something like this wins the SAA award> (Strange Antler Artifact - what did you think ?)...> > J.Marc> > > > -- > Jean-Marc Pétillon> CNRS> Laboratoire TRACES (UMR 5608)> Université Toulouse le Mirail> Maison de la recherche> 5 allées A. Machado> F-31058 Toulouse> > + 33 (0) 5 61 50 24 53> + 33 (0) 6 31 07 47 62> > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------> This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.> > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------> > > > _______________________________________________> > Bonetools mailing list> > Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu> > https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools> > 

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