[Bonetools] Iceman's antler retouching tool

Sun Oct 6 12:43:51 CEST 2013

Dear Selena,
sorry for the late response. Retouching tools made of antler splinters are very common in Neolithic Swiss lakeshore sites (4300-2400 BC). Normally they are made of splitters, have a hole for fixing them at a belt (or somewhere) and could be also decorated (engraved) (see figure 20.4. examples 27 and 28). There exist also a few examples made of the end of antler tines with a hole at the end. I send you an overview article with a picture of an example made of a antler splinter and some more references in the list.
All the best!
Jörg

Am 04.10.2013 um 14:01 schrieb Selena Vitezović <selenavitezovic at gmail.com<mailto:selenavitezovic at gmail.com>>
:

Spasibo, Mikhail, I will take a look.

best, selena

On 4 October 2013 09:18, Жилин Михаил <mizhilin at yandex.ru<mailto:mizhilin at yandex.ru>> wrote:
Dear Selena,

visit my website: www.mizhilin.narod.ru<http://www.mizhilin.narod.ru/>
You'll find there some photos and publications of mesolithic bone and antler artefacts, among them pressure flakes of various types.

Best wishes,
Mikhail Zhilin

03.10.2013, 18:17, "Selena Vitezović" <selenavitezovic at gmail.com<mailto:selenavitezovic at gmail.com>>:
Antler retouching tools ocurr here and there in prehistoric Europe, I have few pieces from Starčevo culture sites and few from Iron Gates Mesolithic sites, although the example from Donja Branjevina (on photo) is the most elaborate one, others are more ad hoc and some are just broken antler tools secondary used for flint retouching. The most interesting thing about the Iceman's object is that it has a haft, and that it was, evidently, a planned tool, used repeatidly, and even carried around, not abandoned on the place of use. Therefore I am grateful for any information about the references.
Another interesting thing, Lena, is that antler retouching tools seem to be present in Mesolithic and Early/Middle Neolithic (unlike ad hoc used bones in the Palaeolithic times), and dissapear from later Neolithic onwards (so far I haven't seen any in Vinča culture assemblages). But this is a completely different topic.
Looking forward to get more the references on Iceman.

thanks and all the best, selena

On 2 October 2013 19:10, Lena Strid <lena.strid at oxfordarch.co.uk<mailto:lena.strid at oxfordarch.co.uk>> wrote:
Dear Dale,

Similar antler tools ("tryckstock") have been found at the mesolithic sites at Tågerup and Motala, both in Sweden, a few years ago. The Tågerup excavations have been published (Per Karsten & Bo Knarrström 2003, The Tågerup Excavations. Part of the series "Skånska spår - arkeologi längs Västkustbanan"), but the Motala excavations are I believe ongoing. It might be worth contacting the local excavation unit* to see if they can give you more information.

*: National Heritage Board excavation unit, eastern Sweden: uvost at raa.se<mailto:uvost at raa.se>

/Lena

----- Original Message -----
From: "Serjeantson D." <D.Serjeantson at soton.ac.uk<mailto:D.Serjeantson at soton.ac.uk>>
To: "Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and
horn." <bonetools at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>>
Sent: Wednesday, 2 October, 2013 12:51:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Bonetools] Iceman's antler retouching tool

Dear Selena,
The tool is described in 'The Man in the Ice' by Spindler (p.105). He
described it as a piece of lime wood with a hole drilled down the middle
with a rod or spike of antler inserted into the hole. The fact that it
was antler was confirmed by Angela von den Driesch. The tip of the rod
had been hardened by fire to strengthen it and was a blackish colour.
The rod or spike was 5.1 cm long and 5 mm in diameter.

I have got a copy of the catalogue from the display in Bolzano and it
does contain a good colour photo of the retoucheur. If you would like a
scan, I can do that when I next have access to a scanner.

The catalogue says that nothing similar has been found elsewhere. Have
you found an antler rod which might be from a similar tool? I wonder if
anyone else has since found a similar rod.

Best
Dale

Dale Serjeantson FSA, MIFA, MA
Archaeology Faculty of Humanities
University of Southampton
Southampton S017 1BJ

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/archaeology/about/staff/dale.page
________________________________
From: bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu>
[bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu>] on behalf of Selena Vitezović
[selenavitezovic at gmail.com<mailto:selenavitezovic at gmail.com>]
Sent: 02 October 2013 10:22
To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study
of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn.
Subject: [Bonetools] Iceman's antler retouching tool

Dear colleagues,

Two years ago, I saw and exhibition on Otzi, the Iceman, in Historical
museum in Oslo (exhibition was a visiting one, but I do not recall who
originally made it, I saw it while attending EAA conference in Oslo).
There I saw the replicas of some items found in Iceman's pockets,
including a retouching tool made from antler. However, this was an
exhibition without accompanying catalogue, and I was wondering if anyone
can help mi with reference for this information?
Perhaps the same exhibition was held in some other museum with a
catalogue: I tried to find any data on papers published on Otzi, which
are quite numerous, but so far I haven't encountered any mention of
antler retouching tool.
Any help is welcome, thank you.

Best regards, Selena Vitezović

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