[Bonetools] The two pieces of the Louvre.

[Etan Ayalon]

Dear all,
May I add a "local" angle to Poplin's interesting remark about the origin of the word "bead" (and no doubt it's the same in all languages). The Hebrew word for bead, "haruz" is also the word for rhyme or verse in a poem or song, no doubt because they are created by the poet as beads in a necklace. I think it is the same in Arabic. The Hebrew word for poem, "shir", is probably connected with "sharsheret"  which means chain, whose rings are connected like the verses in a poem.
The most successful exhibition I have made in my museum (well, alongside the one on bone objects...) was called "Idioms and Items", showing - through the relevant artifacts - how much known and used idioms are rooted in ancient daily life and language (i.e. "millstones on his neck"...). 
Indeed, we guys deal with artifacts most of the time, but a lot may be learned from ethymology as well!
Etan

________________________________

מאת: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu בשם Fran?ois Poplin
נשלח: ש 23/03/2013 10:53
אל: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study ofobject and waste of bone,antler. ivory and horn.
נושא: Re: [Bonetools] The two pieces of the Louvre.


I prepared the following linez that night. I'll answer in your message afterwards.



I did not want to tell you what I thought of the function before, in order not to kill the discussion. Just two remarks now, and an addition :

 

- what is the question coming now ?

 

- we have to pay attention to (for ?) words. In french, I would not speak of "?carteur de perles" but of "?carteurs de rangs de perles" (An "?carteur de perles" would be between two beads). In english, something as bead row spacer, but "spacer" is involved not inly in rows and files, but also in crosses, rings, etc., many kinds of arrangments in space.

 

And : besides "perle" in french, are two terms in english, pearl and bead, the first being refered to (linked with) mother of the pearl, the second not. Formerly, bead had a brother in french, "grain" (ie. "de chapelet"). Do you know, without looking neither in the dictionnaries nor in Google, the origin of bead ? The prayer, whith (through ?) an old term bede related with (relative of) german beten "to pray" (the transformation is similar with bed and Bett). In french, a chaplet/rosary/beads maker (or bead, in that case ?) was called a paten?trier, build on the beginning Pater noster (qui es in ...).

 

Addition : I have seen recently, in a paper provided by my colleague Simon Davis as first author, such "spacers" made of bird bone. Would you like some more comments ?




Le 22/03/2013 19:47, FARRELL E.R. a ?crit : 

	Dear all,
	
	These spacer beads do seem to be the most similar form to what I have; the two from the Louvre, the neolithic Greek examples, and one from Dr. Ayalon's Caesarea Maritima publication all seem to be roughly the same size and shape with similar treatment of the holes.
	


No. The neolithic thing of Kyrios Ifantidis are conical holes (from both sides, I presume), which is normal at that time with flint, etc. There is a chronology in piercing/drilling, and so forth.



	Based on the comparisons I suspect the object I am working with is a spacer bead, or at the very least that represents the most likely interpretation available at the moment. My one concern with my specific example is the wear pattern. The second picture of examples Mr. Ifantidis provided gives several different arrangements using a spacer bead and I can understand how the wear might be different depending on that arrangement. 
	
	I cannot manage to figure out a way to arrange beadwork which would wear only one hole. Even the furthest hole on the obviously broken end (very little of that furthest hole remains, but it can be seen) shows no wear. It seems as if it should have wear on at least two holes at each end to have use as a spacer bead, which would imply that both ends have been broken and reshaped, and several centimeters in length are missing. 
	
	Also, for the two examples at the Louvre, Dr. Poplin, do you know the date or culture they originate from? Considering I now know there are similar items from Neolithic Greece and Roman Syria I doubt I can make a judgement of date for my object based on comparisons, but I would still very much like to know, particularly if the Louvre objects are from an Egyptian collection.
	
	

Being in the coptic collection, the things comes definitely from Egypt. As quoted by Marie Delassus, the origine is old (Ils proviennent de la collection Clot-Bey acquise en juillet 1852", and without data - the same as for you. Dr Bey brought lots of things, even a (living) girafe, the skeleton of which is here in our collection.

Simply typing "?carteur perles" on Google, you get lots of informations. The oldest case I know is paleolithic ; there are things like that in Mycenian, etc. I had in hand a marvelous book named "Beads", I would like to see again. But they are more then ten now on Google....

I don't forget "A piece, two objects" ; i'll turn back later.




	As I was writing the above, a colleague saw the archaeological drawing of my artefact, and immediately suggested a particular type of loom spacer used to attach a tablet-woven border to a plain-woven cloth on a vertical loom. Apparently it would be tied only at the end (accounting for the odd wear), with loose thread separated in the remaining holes. I have not yet seen a photo or drawing of one of these so don't know if it is a feasible option, but is anyone else familiar with such an object? I know a couple people suggested this might be a weaving tablet early on. I will try to find an image, or at least a better description for comparison.
	
	Thanks,
	
	Erik Farrell
	
	
	From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu [bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] on behalf of Fotis Ifantidis [fotisif at gmail.com]
	Sent: 22 March 2013 16:23
	To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn.
	Subject: Re: [Bonetools] The two pieces of the Louvre.
	
	

	Dear all,

	 

	To add to Erik’s inquiry on the interpretation of his multi-holed object, I have two bone objects from MN/LN Dispilio in Greece, which I am almost certain that are spacers for bead necklaces. Also attached is a figure from my 2006 MA study of similar finds from various contexts. I could also provide some other references if you wish.

	Best,

	Fotis

	 

	http://auth.academia.edu/fotisifantidis

	visualizingneolithic.com <http://visualizingneolithic.com/> 

	theotheracropolis.com <http://theotheracropolis.com/> 

	kalaureiainthepresent.org <http://kalaureiainthepresent.org/> 

	spondylus.wordpress.com <http://spondylus.wordpress.com/> 



	2013/3/22 Fran?ois Poplin <poplin at mnhn.fr>
	

		Dear Erik Farrell
		and everybody
		
		the Providence gives only two pieces, but ideal ones : the one is complete, giving the dimentions and the number of holes, the other is broken (as yours), giving some "interior" comparison points and, maybe, the opportunity to go further into the material : would you go to histological prepartion/polishing on the breake? That was the question behind when I  wrote "Haversian or not haversian, that's the question". I can at least ask at the Louvre.
		
		The two picture are property of the Mus?e du Louvre and unpublished. Please, no official use without permission  of dominique.benazeth at louvre.fr
		
		I have not seen yet the two pieces.
		
		Your's faithfully.
		
		
		------- Message original -------- 
Sujet: 	RE: photos de deux objets en os de la section copte	
Date : 	Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:38:47 +0100	
De : 	Delassus Marie <Marie.Delassus at louvre.fr> <mailto:Marie.Delassus at louvre.fr> 	
Pour : 	'Fran?ois Poplin' <poplin at mnhn.fr> <mailto:poplin at mnhn.fr> 	

		Je vous fais parvenir sous forme num?rique les deux photos que je vous ai imprim?es mardi dernier. Ces deux objets sont inventori?s sous le num?ro E 328 j. 

		Ils proviennent de la collection Clot-Bey acquise en juillet 1852. 

		Je vous en redonne les dimensions : 

		-objet complet : L . : 4,5 cm ; l. : 0,8 cm ; ?p. : 0,33 cm 

		-objet fragmentaire : L. : 3,54 cm ; l. : 0,8 cm ; ?p. : 0,32 cm 

		Je suis tout ? fait partante pour que vous diffusiez ? vos coll?gues ces images. 

		  

		Marie Delassus 

		  
		

		--     
		Fran?ois POPLIN     
		     
		Directeur honoraire de l’UMR 7209 Arch?ozoologie, Arch?botanique : soci?t?s, pratiques et environnements     
		     
		Responsable du S?minaire d'Anthropozoologie     
		     
		Mus?um national d'Histoire naturelle     
		CP 56     
		Ancien Laboratoire d’Anatomie compar?e     
		55, rue de Buffon     
		75005 Paris     
		01 40 79 33 11     
		fax ------ 33 14     
		     
		francoispoplin.blogspot.com <http://francoispoplin.blogspot.com/>     

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-- 
Fran?ois POPLIN 

Directeur honoraire de l’UMR 7209 Arch?ozoologie, Arch?botanique : soci?t?s, pratiques et environnements 

Responsable du S?minaire d'Anthropozoologie 

Mus?um national d'Histoire naturelle 
CP 56 
Ancien Laboratoire d’Anatomie compar?e 
55, rue de Buffon 
75005 Paris 
01 40 79 33 11 
fax ------ 33 14 

francoispoplin.blogspot.com

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