[Bonetools] bone objects

[SA O'Connor]

Dear Etan,

Interestingly your cigarette holder, at least in these pictures, seems  
to show no evidence of being used.

All such objects and tobacco pipes I have examined are darkly stained  
with smoke-derived tar that infiltrates the bone or ivory structure.  
This is most concentrated towards the interior surface of the tube  
when seen in fracture surfaces but the staining can penetrate  
throughout the material, giving it a greasy, translucent appearance.  
Perhaps the apparent lack of staining in your object is a preservation  
issue?

All the best,

Sonia

Quoting Etan  Ayalon <etana at eretzmuseum.org.il>:

> Dear colleagues,
> Attached are photographs of two bone (?) objects found by the  
> Carmelites in the 1980' at the site of  Wadi al-Sheih (Haifa,  
> Israel). Dr. Edna Stern of the Israel Antiquities Authority is  
> preparing the publication. Most of the finds at the site are from  
> the Crusader and Mamluk periods (12th-16th cen.), but these two seem  
> to be more modern. One is a cigarette holder or a nargillah  
> mouthpiece and the other, of course, a toothbrush.
> Any dating, parallels etc. would be welcomed. The photos are for  
> information only, until they are published.
> Etan Ayalon
>



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