[Bonetools] FW: Bone object - textile manufacture?

Sun Mar 3 07:21:41 CET 2013

What is the date of this object?

Etan

From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of Selena Vitezovic
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2013 6:50 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] FW: Bone object - textile manufacture?

Hello everyone, 

There is a paper from M. Meneses Fernandez on similar objects (although from Neolithic), with experimental results, in the volume "Trace et fonction: les gestes retrouvés", eds. P. Anderson, S. Beyries, M. Otte and H, Plisson. 

best regards, Selena 

On 1 March 2013 17:45, S O'Connor <S.Oconnor at bradford.ac.uk> wrote:

Thank you for these observations François, I will pass 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

From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of François Poplin
Sent: 01 March 2013 14:33
To: bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] FW: Bone object - textile manufacture?

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 
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