[Bonetools] (no subject)
SA O'Connor
S.Oconnor at Bradford.ac.uk
Thu Jul 1 10:43:56 CEST 2010
Dear Etan,
The 5 holes on the curved surface do apparently go right through from
top to bottom so this fits well with your idea of a horizontal handle.
I have just looked more closely at the photos and you are right, there
are definitely two holes towards the left end on the decorated side
and possibly one towards the right end, but the latter is very
indistinct and may be decoration.
There also appears to be a vertical groove in the decorated surface,
just to the left of the pair of small holes. This groove seems to be
associated with the large hole nearest the end of the handle. Perhaps
this is a crack that has formed under load where the material is at
its thinnest? If so, then the small holes could be for rivets, as you
suggest, that were involved in the attachment of a reinforcement or
repair, such as a metal sheet cap over the end of the handle.
From the top view of the large holes there also seems to be a crack
running from the centre hole to the edge, but this is not obvious in
the side view.
I'll see if we can't get better images and more views of this piece as
the image compression artefacts are really bad when you try to magnify
them to any extent.
All the best,
Sonia
Quoting Etan Ayalon <etana at eretzmuseum.org.il>:
> Dear Sonia,
> In the first photo (of the decorated side) I seem to see 2 small
> holes (for rivets?) on the left extreme, and perhaps another one on
> the right extreme.
> And the 5 large holes - do they continue all the way through? If
> they do, it could be a horizontal handle (perhaps 1 of 2) to carry
> something (sack or basket) hang on 5 ropes below this handle, with
> the ropes tied together above it. I have seen some rather modern
> bags of this sort.
> Etan Ayalon
> Israel
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu
> [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of S O'Connor
> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 4:50 PM
> To: 'Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the
> study ofobject and waste of bone,antler. ivory and horn.'
> Subject: Re: [Bonetools] (no subject)
>
>
>
> Dear François,
>
>
>
> The scale is inches. The finder mentions only the 5 holes which are
> visible so I do not think that the ends are pierced. There seems to
> be no context beyond being from St Lawrence Island, Alaska, I do not
> know if the phrase 'picked up' means that they found it on the
> ground - it could equally mean that they bought it as a curiosity in
> a local shop. The age is not known. I agree that the photographs
> are difficult to view. I can suggest that Clare contacts the
> enquirer with our questions if anyone thinks this is worthwhile.
>
>
>
> Sonia
>
>
>
> Dr Sonia O'Connor PhD FSA FIIC ACR Honorary Visiting Fellow,
> University of York
>
> Post-doctoral Research Fellow
>
> Archaeological Sciences
>
> Division of AGES,
>
> University of Bradford
>
> Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
>
>
>
> tel 01274 23 6498 (office) 5210 (lab)
>
> fax 01274 23 5210
>
>
>
> From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu
> [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of François
> Poplin
> Sent: 30 June 2010 14:19
> To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the
> study of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn.
> Subject: Re: [Bonetools] (no subject)
>
>
>
> Please,
>
> what is the context ? The age ? The length (6+ cm or 6+ inches) ?
>
> Are the extremities pierced ?
>
> I cannot enlarge nor clear up the image, wich is rather dark.
>
> [If it were recent,] it [would] make me remember of some handle of
> some tea or coffee pot, made of some synthectic material of
> pre-plastic time.
>
> Your's.
>
>
> S O'Connor a écrit :
>
> Dear Alice,
>
> The following query and attached images came to me via Clare Ward at
> the British Museum who has requested that I forward them to the
> bonetools discussion list to see if anyone can help with the
> function of this piece. It is not clear to me what the materials is
> from these photographs but what I can see is consistent with an
> ivory of some species. I am happy to pass thoughts back via Clare.
>
>
>
> All the best,
>
>
>
> Sonia
>
>
>
> Dr Sonia O'Connor PhD FSA FIIC ACR Honorary Visiting Fellow,
> University of York
>
> Post-doctoral Research Fellow
>
> Archaeological Sciences
>
> Division of AGES,
>
> University of Bradford
>
> Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
>
>
>
> tel 01274 23 6498 (office) 5210 (lab)
>
> fax 01274 23 5210
>
>
>
> From: Sherry Doyal
> Sent: 29 June 2010 15:01
> To: Caroline Cartwright
> Cc: Clare Ward; Philip Kevin
> Subject: FW: Identification?
>
>
>
> Any guesses? S
>
>
>
> From: Ed Tennant [mailto:etennant2 at comcast.net]
> Sent: 29 June 2010 14:57
> To: Sherry Doyal
> Subject: Identification?
>
>
>
> Dear Sherry -- I am a good friend of your cousin, Jim MacDiarmid.
> Started working with him in Alaska in the mid 1970's. Still talk to
> him a couple of times a week, brushing up on our German and
> exchanging recipes. He suggested that I forward these photos and
> background information about a fossilized piece of ivory that so far
> no one can identify. Below is the info I sent to Vincent LaFonde at
> the Canadian Museum of Civilisation. I think you will find the piece
> curious and if I am lucky you will be able to say "Eureka!" -- My
> best regards, Ed Tennant
>
>
>
> Dear Colleague:
>
>
>
> Although I am now retired here in Albuquerque, I worked as a
> language education consultant in rural Alaska for about 30 years.
> Over a ten-year period I worked with the elementary school staff at
> Gambell on St. Lawrence Island. During that time I picked up several
> pieces of fossilized ivory artifacts. One is particularly intriguing
> and somewhat mysterious, as, so far, no one can tell me what it is.
> The first suggestion was that it was a guide for the hitch on a
> fan-shaped dog team. The elders at Gambell tell me that that type of
> sled hitch was never used on the island. Fan hitch specialists also
> say they have never seen anything like that to guide traces. So,
> after twenty years I am still trying to find out what this object
> may have been used for. At the suggtestion of my Canadian friend Jim
> MacDiarmid (currently a language consultant in Juneau, Alaska) I
> have included two photos: a front view and a top view. The back is
> somewhat roughly hewn and is not as polished as the front. Note the
> stick figure in the center that has the "eye of awareness" (ellam
> inga) as its head. This may suggest that the object may have been
> used in some religious ceremony. The five equidistant 1-cm holes run
> completely through the piece from top to bottom-- I would be most
> grateful if you could identify this unusual, artifact that is from
> the Bering Sea Punuk culture (800-1200 C.E.).
>
>
>
> My sincere thanks -- Ed Tennant
>
> etennant2 at comcast.net
>
>
>
> Y
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
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