[Bonetools] Iceman's antler retouching tool

Tue Apr 22 15:47:51 CEST 2014

Dear colleagues,

Few months ago I asked for help related to antler retouching tools. Thanks
again for everyone who helped me and all the references you shared with me.
I am pleased to inform you that my paper is now published and is available
in open access: http://haemus.mk/haemus-journal-vol-2-2013-vitezovic/
Below the abstract is the link for pdf.

best regards, Selena

On 6 October 2013 15:44, Selena Vitezović <selenavitezovic at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Jörg,
>
> Thank you for the response and the article, such an interesting article is
> never too late.
>
> best, Selena
>
>
> On 6 October 2013 12:43, Jörg Schibler <joerg.schibler at unibas.ch> wrote:
>
>>  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>
>> :
>>
>>  Spasibo, Mikhail, I will take a look.
>>
>> best, selena
>>
>>
>> On 4 October 2013 09:18, Жилин Михаил <mizhilin at yandex.ru> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Selena,
>>
>> visit my website: 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>:
>>
>>   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> 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
>>
>> /Lena
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Serjeantson D." <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>
>> 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
>> [bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] on behalf of Selena Vitezović
>> [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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