[Bonetools] Question - identification of bone artifact - Late Antiquity/Early Medieval

[Jean-Marc Petillon]

Dear all,

this artifact was found in a shepherd's hut used between the 3rd and the
11th cent. AD in the French Pyrenees (Ossau valley, ca. 1900 m ASL). It
was made on a cattle (Bos) metatarsal, the proximal end was cut straight
with a metal blade, the mesial hole was carved with a blade as well, but
the distal fracture was apparently caused by wear (something - probably
a rope of some kind - wore down the compact tissue until it finally
broke). There is a slight polish all over the object, especially on the
edges, but no visible trace inside the marrow canal.

I tried the old "I can't help you, I'm a prehistorian" trick with my
medievist colleague but it didn't work, so I'm posting this on the
Bonetools list. The piece was interpreted as a handle (maybe half its
original length) that was broken and then recycled as a whistle (?), but
any parallels, comparisons and ideas are welcome !

Cheers,

Jean-Marc



-- 
Jean-Marc Petillon
CNRS
Laboratoire TRACES - travaux et recherches archeologiques
sur les cultures, les espaces et les societes

Universite Toulouse Jean Jaures
Maison de la recherche
5 allees A. Machado
F-31058 Toulouse

+ 33 (0) 5 61 50 23 63
+ 33 (0) 6 31 07 47 62

Page personnelle :
http://traces.univ-tlse2.fr/petillon-jean-marc-47519.kjsp?RH=annuaire_traces
Page Academia : http://univ-tlse2.academia.edu/JeanMarcP%C3%A9tillon
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2015-10-06 14.26.16_2.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 2031104 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20151006/59180403/attachment-0004.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2015-10-06 14.26.42.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1538999 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20151006/59180403/attachment-0005.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2015-10-06 14.26.47.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1696934 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20151006/59180403/attachment-0006.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2015-10-06 14.26.51.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1548513 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://listserv.niif.hu/pipermail/bonetools/attachments/20151006/59180403/attachment-0007.jpg>