[Bonetools] General question about dot and circle motif

Christopher R. Moore moorecr at uindy.edu
Tue Jun 12 15:48:33 CEST 2012


Hello Kate,

There is an American Antiquity article from 1997 that argues that multi-spurred graving tools from Paleoindian sites were used for engraving this motif on bone and shell.  The citation is:

Tomenchuk, John and Peter L. Storck
1997	Two Newly Recognized Paleoindian Tool Types: Single- and Double-Scribe Compass Gravers and Coring Gravers.  American Antiquity 62(3):508-522.

chris

----- Original Message -----
From: "Katherine M. Moore" <kmmoore at sas.upenn.edu>
To: bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 9:08:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] General question about dot and circle motif

Dear Monica: thank you! This is exactly the kind of real-world  
experience I lacked.

Kate Moore

Quoting T + M Tielens <info at bikkelenbeen.nl>:

> Hello Kate,
>
> I use it for the decorations on my bone articles. When I started with bone
> carving I used the one hand tool with a metal fork and I turned it round.
> But if you look at all the originals this is not the way our ancestors did
> it. Nowadays I use a handdrill with a 3 fork metaltool specialy made by a
> blacksmith. And although I am not satisfatied yet the result is much better
> than before.
>
> Greetings
> Monica Tielens
> Bikkel en Been
>
> 2012/6/11 Katherine M. Moore <kmmoore at sas.upenn.edu>
>
>> Dear bone tool group colleagues:
>>
>> My eye was caught by the dot/circle motifs on that hair pin, and I address
>> the list with a few basic questions about this motif, based on their
>> occasional appearance on "fancy" pieces in Formative (neolithic) Bolivia.
>>
>> What tools and techniques are necessary to produce this effect? It is a
>> one-step or two-step procedure to produce the dot and the circle together?
>>
>> I have seen reference to producing the circle with a fine, stiff reed or
>> plant stem and abrasive. Does this seem reasonable?
>>
>> Does decoration with dot-and-circle seem like a more demanding process
>> than free-hand engraving or less demanding of skill and training?
>>
>> There is spectacular free-hand engraving on bone for thousands of years in
>> the New World, but dot-and-circle also appears. I don't have the experience
>> to judge the implications for the production of the craft, much less what
>> the social implications might be in choosing a dot-and-circle decoration
>> over a hatched band or a little monkey or jaguar.
>>
>> Thanks for your insights,
>>
>> best,
>>
>> Kate Moore
>>
>>
>>
>> Quoting Marloes Rijkelijkhuizen  
>> <marloesrijkelijkhuizen@**hotmail.com<marloesrijkelijkhuizen at hotmail.com>
>> >:
>>
>>
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> A question from a German colleague.
>>> This object is 6,6 cm long, diameter of the shaft is 0,4 cm. The dice are
>>> circa 0,6 x 0,7 cm.
>>>
>>> Has anyone of you seen such a piece before, or has any other information?
>>>
>>> With best wishes,
>>> Marloes
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Zooarchaeology Laboratory
>> University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
>> 3260 South Street
>> Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
>>
>>
>> ______________________________**_________________
>> Bonetools mailing list
>> Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
>> https://listserv.niif.hu/**mailman/listinfo/bonetools<https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Monica Tielens
> Bikkel en Been
>
> Lingedijk 35
> 4191 VB  Geldermalsen
>
> tel: 0031(0)345 582089
> mob: 0031(0)629245711
> e-mail: info at bikkelenbeen.nl
>



Zooarchaeology Laboratory
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA


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-- 
Christopher R. Moore, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics & Earth-Space Sciences
University of Indianapolis
(317) 788-3534

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