[Bonetools] FW: Bone object - textile manufacture?

[François Poplin]

Indeed, the worn of the "entire broken" end is more moticeable than the 
wear of the "last" (complete) hole (it's clear that another, a "more 
last" hole was there, and necessarily - the thing won't break between to 
holes). The wear of the inter-hole may be due to a leather strap/band 
rather than to a thread, for the worn spreads widely in the hole (and 
not causing an ogival bay). That makes me think of an attachment for 
hanging the piece or, rather, for attaching something to it, as in a 
"porte clés". Again, the whole worn of that end is the more important 
thing; maybe was the break rasped first in orther to make it "flat", to 
get rid of the irregularity.

the repeated drill-holes (made with the same drill, I suppose) did not 
receive moving thread, string, as they show no worn - but, for the same 
rason, they coud have received firm bars of wood, for instance, as in a 
ladder. I don't dare to thing that this was just an exercise of 
drilling... : after the break, maybe, not before; and the hole are too 
regurlarly distrbuited (in line and in equidistance)

Inbetween, the clok has run.. I have to stop.

Your's.

Le 01/03/2013 13:37, S O'Connor a écrit :
>
> Dear All,
>
> I am forwarding on this enquiry from a student at the University of 
> Durham.  I have objects like this, but not so thick, in wood and 
> plastic on which I store my different coloured threads when I am 
> working on an embroidery project.  However the pattern of wear does 
> not really support this use.  Perhaps the wear and polish at the 
> broken end suggests a reuse of something originally made for an 
> entirely different purpose.  If you have any suggestions or parallels, 
> please let me know and I will forward them on to Erik.
>
> 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
>
> Dear Dr. O'Connor,
>
> My name is Erik Farrell; I am a student in the MA Artefact 
> Conservation programme at Durham university, and am currently working 
> on identifying a bone object for the Durham Oriental Museum. I suspect 
> it to be either a tool associated with textile manufacture, or 
> potentially an oddly shaped spacer bead, but because of the poor 
> survival rate of textile tools am having a difficult time finding any 
> comparable examples. I contacted Dr. Mary Brooks here at Durham, and 
> she recommended I contact you as someone with expertise in both bone 
> artefacts and textiles.
>
> The object is made of bone; I am working on getting a species 
> identification, but have managed to rule out ivory. It is from Egypt, 
> but it is from an older collection, so I do not yet have a date range 
> or cultural period.
>
> You can see in the photos that the broken end is tapered on the 
> surviving piece, and looks like it would have come to a point or a 
> rounded point. There are holes along the entire length, but only the 
> hole at the complete end shows wear; it looks like it has been worn by 
> a thread passing through the hole, wrapped around the back end of the 
> object. It is this wear pattern that makes me think textile 
> manufacture may be an option. I don't really know what to make of the 
> lack of comparable wear in the other holes.
>
> I have attached the artefact photos and a scan of the archaeological 
> drawing to this email. I am hoping your background and knowledge of 
> bone objects and textile production may give some insight on potential 
> uses for this object. I have also included a couple photos of breaks 
> under the microscope on the chance that you might be able to give some 
> insight into what sort of bone this is, but I know that sort of 
> identification is usually done with the object in hand. Any 
> information you can give me - even if it is just speculation on 
> potential uses for a tool of this size and shape - would be greatly 
> appreciated.
>
> Thank you very much,
>
> Erik Farrell
>
>
>
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-- 
François POPLIN

Directeur honoraire de l'UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archébotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements

Responsable du Séminaire d'Anthropozoologie

Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
CP 56
Ancien Laboratoire d'Anatomie comparée
55, rue de Buffon
75005 Paris
01 40 79 33 11
fax ------ 33 14

francoispoplin.blogspot.com

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