AW: [Bonetools] medieval drilled phalanges

[Dr. Cornelia Becker]

Dear Alice! In Schleswig-Schild, Ingrid Ulbricht has found 116 cattle
phalanges, three quarter of them were filled with some kind of metal. She
interprets them as net-sinker. In the publication x-rays are presented, too.
Look into: I. Ulbricht, Die Verarbeitung von Knochen, Geweih und Horn im
mittelalterlichen Schleswig.  Ausgrabungen in Schleswig, Berichte und
Studien 3, 1984, in particular page 63 and table 47. Warm-felt greatings
from Berlin Yours Cornelia.

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: bonetools-bounces at listserv.iif.hu
[mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.iif.hu] Im Auftrag von
h13017cho at helka.iif.hu
Gesendet: Samstag, 1. März 2008 13:37
An: bonetools at listserv.iif.hu
Betreff: [Bonetools] medieval drilled phalanges

Dear colleagues,
   More strange bone tools -this time from a medieval house context in Visby

on Gotland (Sweden). These cattle first phalanges were drilled through the 
proximal end and filled with lead. The cut marks look more like cuts from 
defleshing and hide removal to me. Curiously, these objects will NOT stand 
upright with the lead in them so gaming pieces are out. We have identical 
objects from rural medieval contexts, cattle and horse first phalanges
drilled 
through the proximal ends but without the lead. I assumed the Hungarian 
objects must be some kind of toy (phalanges standing in as harnessed 
animals with a toy wagon) or some kind of crude, ad hoc handle.   Any 
ideas out there? 

Alice