[Bonetools] weaving tools

Wed Oct 20 15:39:34 CEST 2010

Dear all and especially Olivier,
Following these perforated points, here are 3 photos of bone tools:
1. Kebara - plaiting tool(?), Kebara Cave, Israel, Natufian period (c. 10th millenium BCE), courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority, published in Ayalon and Sorek 1999 (see previous mail), Fig. 1.
2. Nahal Mishmar - plaiting tool or shuttle(?), Nahal Mishmar Cave, Israel, Chalcolithic period (4th millenium BCE), courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority, published in Ayalon and Sorek 1999 (see previous mail), Fig. 27.
3. Sardinia - Bone plaiting tools used today in several villages in Sardinia (Mamoyada, Castel Sardo, etc.), from a post card sold there. Friends who visited this village (2009) say that in the local mask museum a guy is shown in a film dancing with a wooden mask decorated with metal bells whose clappers are made of short bones! 
I wonder how they sound.
Etan Ayalon  

-----Original Message-----
From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of PUTELAT Olivier
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 3:10 PM
To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for thestudy ofobject and waste of bone,antler. ivory and horn.
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] weaving tools

Dear all : My colleague suggests that this is a rhombus (bull-roarer). What do you think of this idea ?
Olivier.

-----Message d'origine-----
De : bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] De la part de Etan Ayalon Envoyé : mercredi 20 octobre 2010 08:14 À : Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for thestudy ofobjectand waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn.
Objet : Re: [Bonetools] weaving tools

Dear Janet,
Your question about the possibility that thin pieces of antler (or bone?) might become curved during the years has occured to me too. In Early Moslem Caesarea, Israel (7th-11th cent. AD) were found thin ajouré inlays (probably made of ribs) completely curved. As inlays, I have no doubt they were originally flat, like most of the others. They were published in BAR Int. Ser. 1457.
Etan Ayalon  

-----Original Message-----
From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of griffitt at email.arizona.edu
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 6:57 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] weaving tools

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
>>>
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