[Bonetools] Strange cattle bones with carved holes

[Allentuck, Adam]

Dear Johnny,

I realize that similarly perforated metacarpals from the 3rd millennium BC in the southern Levant are unlikely to solve your problem, but you may be interested in a far-flung comparison nonetheless. The examples shown in the attached image are sheep/goat metacarpals, not cattle, but the location of perforations in the proximal articulation are a perfect match to your medieval specimens. This image was scanned from the following:

Kenyon KM. (1965) Excavations at Jericho. Volume Two: The Tombs excavated in 1955-8, London: British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem.

These sorts of worked metacarpals have been interpreted as anthropomorphic figurines by K. Kenyon and flutes by G. Garstang. I summarize the history of research on Levantine 'modified metapodia' in the following paper:

Allentuck A. (2013) Raw Material Availability and Technological Choice: Modified Metapodia from an Early Bronze Age Site in Central Israel. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 23: 379-394.

Cheers,
Adam

Adam Allentuck
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow
Honorary Research Associate
Institute of Archaeology
University College London
31-34 Gordon Square
London WC1H 0PY
United Kingdom
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/people/staff/honorary/allentuck

From: Johnny Karlsson <johnny.karlsson at ofl.su.se<mailto:johnny.karlsson at ofl.su.se>>
Reply-To: "bonetools at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>" <bonetools at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>>
Date: Friday, November 21, 2014 at 2:44 PM
To: "bonetools at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>" <bonetools at listserv.niif.hu<mailto:bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>>
Subject: [Bonetools] Strange cattle bones with carved holes

Dear all,
I hope you can help me with some odd bone objects from medieval Sigtuna in Sweden.
During a research on medieval bone skates from the town, I and a colleague came across some bones that seem to have another function at least primary. It is only metacarpal bones from cattle and they have two holes at the proximal joint, see photo. The holes are uneven and look carved rather than drilled. Usually the holes reach the medullar cavity. In two cases it is evident that the bones secondary have been used as skates, in two other cases they exhibit transverse striations on the diaphysis (see photo). But the majority of them show no sign of use at all except these two proximal holes. We identified about twenty of them from one particular trench in layers dating to the 12th century, but they do appear in smaller numbers in other parts of town.
Has anyone of you seen something similar? Does anyone know their function?
Thank you in advance,
Johnny Karlsson
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