[Bonetools] weaving tools

Tue Oct 19 18:57:23 CEST 2010

For what it's worth, both my grandmothers were weavers, one of whom lived next
door when I was growing up, so I grew up watching weaving, and I do a bit of
weaving myself (quite inexpertly, especially compared with my grandmothers'
work, but I have fun).  My grandmothers used tools of a lot of 
different shapes
and sizes depending on what they were doing and which loom they were using.
Right now my favorite tools for my tapestry loom are a bone folder purchased
from an art supply store that I use as a pickup stick for helping to lay in
patterns and a small shuttle.  The bone folder is blunt pointed at one end and
curved on the other. The shuttle I use has deep notches at either end, but
Grandma used thicker bipointed shuttles (called a boat shuttle) sometimes on
her big floor loom along with much larger shuttles shaped like the small
notched one I use. They sell shuttles of a variety other shapes in the US, and
I would expect there is likely regional variation in weaving tools, too.

With my inkle loom (a tabletop loom used for making long, fairly narrow 
bands) I
do use a short thick needle (a bone one, purchased from a needlework supplier
that sells modern bone tools, because I'm trying to develop usewear), along
with the short notched shuttle, and occasionally the bone folder, but 
much less
frequently.

But, I'm not arguing against it being mat making tool, either.  Just 
adding some
musings on weaving tools.

I was wondering about the curved shape and whether it's the original 
shape or if
it could have warped over time? Antler is nice and flexible and shapeable into
armbands and other artifacts, but has anyone looked at whether it warps in the
ground under the right conditions?  I've wondered this in the past about some
other long, narrow slightly curved or twisted objects.

Anyway, that's my input on the discussion.

Janet

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Janet Griffitts
Visiting Scholar
Dept. of Anthropology,
Tucson,Arizona

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Quoting Alice Choyke <h13017cho at iif.hu>:

> Dear Etan,
>     I am going to run this idea past some actual weavers. It looks like this
> piece is so worn you won't see any wear beyond those caused by natural
> forces. For weaving narrow bands people usually use short pointed shuttles -
> not at all curved. However, I am NOT a weaver of any kind and there are
> indeed many ways to skin a cat.
>
> Alice
>
> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 9:08 AM, Etan Ayalon <etana at eretzmuseum.org.il>wrote:
>
>>  I guess that when preparing a narrow strip a curved shuttle could be even
>> an advantage, holding it a little bit from above. It would be interesting to
>> check use wear both around the hole and along the blade.Etan
>>
>>  ------------------------------
>> *From:* bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:
>> bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] *On Behalf Of *Alice Choyke
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 19, 2010 8:47 AM
>> *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)
>>
>> My problem with it being a weaving shuttle is that it is curved. correct me
>> if I am wrong but it would be very awkward to move it at all between the
>> warp threads. I am wondering why ANTLER was chosen to make a tool that could
>> be easily produced on cattle rib - much more work involved this way.
>>
>> Alice
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 7:51 AM, Etan Ayalon 
>> <etana at eretzmuseum.org.il>wrote:
>>
>>>  Dear Olivier,
>>> This nice object looks like a weaving shuttle. Exact parallels were
>>> used in Israel since the Neolithic period (6th-5th millenia BCE). cf.:
>>> Bar Yosef, Ofer. 1988. *Nahal* *Hemar Cave* ('Atiqot Series). Israel
>>> Antiquities Authority. Jerusalem (Neolithic).
>>> Bar Adon, Pesah. 1980. *The Cave of the Treasures, The Finds from the
>>> Caves in Nahal Mishmar*. Israel Exploration Society. Jerusalem
>>> (Chalcolithic). Good photo of the same: Ayalon, Etan and Sorek, Chagit.
>>> 1999. *Bare Bones, Ancient Artifacts from Animal Bones* (Catalogue, Eretz
>>> Israel Museum). Tel Aviv, Fig. 27.
>>> And so on, it has not changed in many periods.
>>> Sincerely yours
>>> Etan Ayalon
>>> Israel
>>>
>>>  ------------------------------
>>> *From:* bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:
>>> bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] *On Behalf Of *PUTELAT Olivier
>>> *Sent:* Monday, October 18, 2010 5:37 PM
>>> *To:* Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for thestudy
>>> ofobject and waste of bone,antler. ivory and horn.
>>> *Subject:* [Bonetools] (no subject)
>>>
>>>    Dear colleagues, we found on the settlement of Erstein (late bronze
>>> age), located near Strasbourg (Alsace, France), an antler artefact (photos
>>> attached). The dimensions are as follows:
>>>
>>> - length 165 mm
>>>
>>> - width 26 mm
>>>
>>> - thickness: 2.3 to 2.4 mm
>>>
>>> - diameter hole: 5.5 mm
>>>
>>> Does somebody have an idea of the possible function of this object? Thanks
>>> in advance. Sincerely yours. OP.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Olivier PUTELAT
>>>
>>> **
>>>
>>> *POLE D'ARCHEOLOGIE INTERDEPARTEMENTAL RHENAN (PAIR)*
>>>
>>> *Opérations archéologiques - Laboratoire mixte d'ostéo-archéologie*
>>> Archéozoologue
>>>
>>> Tél. 03 90 58 55 72
>>>
>>> Fax 03 90 58 55 35
>>>
>>> courriel : olivier.putelat at pair-archeologie.fr
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2, allée Thomas Edison
>>>
>>> ZA Sud - CIRSUD
>>>
>>> F-67600 SELESTAT
>>>
>>> FRANCE
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> www.pair-archeologie.fr
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> P* *
>>>
>>> Merci de penser à l'environnement avant d'imprimer ce message...
>>> Bitte denken Sie an die Umwelt, bevor Sie diese Nachricht ausdrucken...
>>> Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this
>>> e-mail
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ______________________________________________________________________
>>> This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
>>> For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email
>>> ______________________________________________________________________
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Bonetools mailing list
>>> Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
>>> https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools
>>>
>>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________________
>> This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
>> For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email
>> ______________________________________________________________________
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Bonetools mailing list
>> Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
>> https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools
>>
>>