[Bonetools] Usewear on a bone tool

Tue Jan 6 20:58:46 CET 2015

Hi Paul,
Well, I never though of that, but I don't think it could explain the phenomenon, mostly because the pits are limited to the highly polished areas and are not present elsewhere on the surface of the tool (including the active surface, i.e. the pointed end in this case). I can't see why the traces of contact with an acid would not be more evenly distributed. Because the pits are so closely associated with the polish, the two kinds of wear must be associated with (and resulting from) contact with a same and unique material, probably a hard material instead of a soft one, but which one? Intriguing...
Best,
Christian
      De : "escoffier1951 at yahoo.co.uk" <escoffier1951 at yahoo.co.uk>
 À : Christian Gates St-Pierre <cgates70 at yahoo.fr>; "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> 
 Envoyé le : mardi 6 janvier 2015 14h27
 Objet : Re: [Bonetools] Usewear on a bone tool

#yiv4424858008 #yiv4424858008 --p.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraph, #yiv4424858008 li.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraph, #yiv4424858008 div.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraph {margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;}#yiv4424858008 p.yiv4424858008MsoNormal, #yiv4424858008 li.yiv4424858008MsoNormal, #yiv4424858008 div.yiv4424858008MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;}#yiv4424858008 p.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, #yiv4424858008 li.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, #yiv4424858008 div.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, #yiv4424858008 p.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, #yiv4424858008 li.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, #yiv4424858008 div.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, #yiv4424858008 p.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, #yiv4424858008 li.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, #yiv4424858008 div.yiv4424858008MsoListParagraphCxSpLast {margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%;}#yiv4424858008 Hi Christian,The tiny pits remind me of those on my apple corers made by the acid in the apple juice. Could have your tool come in to contact with a mild acid?
Best wishesPaul Stokes

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From: Christian Gates St-Pierre
Sent: ‎Tuesday‎, ‎6‎ ‎January‎ ‎2015 ‎18‎:‎58
To: Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study of object and waste of bone, antler. ivory and horn.
Hello Genny,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The tool has a pointed end with a wide angle (see image in attachment: it's specimen No 2). Because of that angle the pointed end seems too large to be used efficiently as an awl. Moreover, it does not have the "typical" leather polish, i.e. rounded polish that follows the micro-topography of the bone, with long, parallel and deep striations perpendicular to the long axis of the tool. What we see on this tool is different: a very intensive and domed polish, very bright, but apparently limited to higher points of the micro-topography: it does not extend down onto the deeper surfaces, and this could indicate that the tool was used on a hard material. The tiny pits in the middle of the highly polished surface are also unusuall; it kind of reminds me of comet-shaped pits visible on stone tools used on wood or silica-rich plants, but I have never seen anything like that on a bone tool (perhaps only because my experimental experience is somewhat limited...).
Christian

      De : Genevieve Lemoine <glemoine at bowdoin.edu>
 À : "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> 
 Envoyé le : mardi 6 janvier 2015 13h02
 Objet : Re: [Bonetools] Usewear on a bone tool

Hi Christian,
What sort of tool is it? Edged? Pointed? Most of my images are not digitized, but I have attached one with a similar pattern of a fairly high polish with fine striations in multiple directions, from an awl-like tool at Gupuk (Nits-1). At the time (a long time ago now!) I thought the polish looked pretty typical for an awl, but the striations did not. The striations are similar to those on sinew twisters from the Mackenzie Delta, but the polish was different.  Ultimately it ended up in the unidentified/multi-use category. Not hugely helpful I’m afraid. Time for more experiments I guess!
Genny

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From: Christian Gates St-Pierre <cgates70 at yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: Christian Gates St-Pierre <cgates70 at yahoo.fr>, "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>
Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at 12:35 PM
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>
Subject: [Bonetools] Usewear on a bone tool

Hello everyone,
I have recently observed some unusuall usewear on a bone tool and I would ask for some opinion as to what material/function could best explain such microwear (see attached images, respectiveley taken at 50x and 100x). From my experience I think it cannot originate from contact with leather, bark, or plant fibers. Any idea?
Thanks in advance and all the best to erveryone for 2015!
Christian

Christian Gates St-Pierre, PhD
Invited Researcher
Département d'anthropologie
Université de Montréal
christian.gates-st-pierre at umontreal.ca
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