[Bonetools] Strasbourg bone items

[Etan Ayalon]

Dear Minni,
As Alice has already mentioned, there are general parallels to your object 1223/3 found in Caesarea Maritima, Israel and published by me (reference below). This indeed looks like a delicate handle, in which the design is not only decorative but improves the grip as well. The upper lathe-turned bands is found on a Byzantine (4th-7th cent.) handle (Fig. 2:12) and the spiral design (less pronounced) on a Byzantine knife handle (Fig. 4:46). There is also a complete delicate engraver or kohl stick (of Roman period? Fig. 4:39) with a very similar spiralled handle plus a nice point. No. 117 in Fig. 10 is a broken spiralled Byzantine rod (pin?). The spiral decoration is also very common at Caesarea on carved tablets and inlays, mostly of 5th-7th cent. (cf. Fig. 37:346-350). The lathe-carving technique of the upper part of your handle is also common on inlays and carved rods here (cf. Fig. 46:426-427). So both types of decoration are deeply rooted in the local bone industry (compare also to Rodziewitz's recent book on Alexandria). Perhaps your handle originated in the eastern Mediterranean (for instance, by a Roman soldier)?
cf: Ayalon, E. 2005. The Assemblage of Bone and Ivory Artifacts from Caesarea Maritima, Israel !st-13th Centuries CE (BAR IS 1457). Oxford.  
Yours
Etan Ayalon
-----Original Message-----
From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of delphine minni
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 1:03 PM
To: Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
Subject: [Bonetools] Strasbourg bone items

Dear colleagues,

Please find enclosed pictures of two bone artifacts recently discovered during an excavation in Strasbourg (France).  The site is considered to be dated somewhere between the Roman and Medieval periods (http://www.inrap.fr/archeologie-
preventive/Sites_archeologiques/p-2345-4_rue_Brulee.htm)

The view is that one of them (1223-3) is some sort of handle, however we have been unable to locate anything comparable.  The spiral pattern suggests that it comes from the Medieval period rather than Roman.

The second one (1106-14), we have absolutely no idea of what the item is, its use and what period it lends itself toward.

 We would appreciate your comments regarding any of the above comments.

 Thank you for your time

 Regards

Minni Delphine
INRAP GES - Centre archéologique de Strasbourg 10, rue d'Altkirch 67000 Strasbourg
03 88 34 97 50
06 07 53 83 70












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