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<div style="direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;font-size: 10pt;">Hello,<br>
<br>
I have a few bits of general information and questions on the object. It measures only 4mm in thickness; the total length is 66mm and width 18mm.<br>
<br>
I am also curious if anyone has run across bone elements from horse tack before. A fellow student pointed me towards some horse bit cheekpieces on the Met Museum's website (one at http://www2.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/30003482?rpp=20&pg=47&ao=on&ft=bone+egypt&pos=939)
which are somewhat similar. The Met examples all seem to be Scythian, and are limited to three holes.
<br>
<br>
I have also found a 1967 report on ivory cheakpieces excavated at Nimrud which are of a different form, but do vary much more in the number of holes. Again what worries me with this hypothesis is the wear pattern; those comparative examples which do exhibit
wear seem to be worn relatively evenly on all holes.<br>
<br>
<br>
Dr. Poplin,<br>
<br>
The break passing through the three holes is likely fresh, but the other piece is lost. I have photographs of the piece in 2009 and the break has already occurred. I do not know exactly when between 1922 and 2009 it was broken, but the other piece is unfortunately
not in the museum archive.<br>
<br>
I am very intrigued by the possibility that this might be crocodile bone. It might not impact function directly, but could certainly impact the social status attached.
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Dr. Ayalon,<br>
<br>
I had not checked Rodziewicz 2007, but I will certainly look through it. The library here at Durham does not have a copy though, so it may be a couple weeks before I can get an interlibrary loan copy.<br>
<br>
The form of the object is very similar to the type of belt divider you sent a picture of. The one issue is again the wear pattern on my object; only one hole exhibits significant wear. How mobile are the individual strands in a belt like that? Would it be
feasible to have a similar belt spacer with some additional hanging decoration? Something like that - a belt divider or necklace spacer bead with an additional hanging component - is the only way I can think to have significantly more wear on a single hole.
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Thanks to all,<br>
Erik Farrell<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #000000; font-size: 16px">
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<div style="direction: ltr;" id="divRpF330367"><font color="#000000" face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b> Etan Ayalon [etana@eretzmuseum.org.il]<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 11 March 2013 11:38<br>
<b>To:</b> FARRELL E.R.<br>
<b>Subject:</b> belt divider<br>
</font><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Dear Erik,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">My suggestion that your object could be a belt divider or a weaving tablet referred to it as a whole item, before the edge broke. Learning now that
it could be Egyptian strengthens these possibilities as bone objects in Egypt and Israel have a lot of similarities.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Attached is a bad photo of a modern bone belt divider from India (Ayalon 2005 [BAR 1457] Pl. 4), from which you can learn about its use.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">As for a weaving tablet, I remember such which were not square but elongated with a row of holes, used to weave belts. I have to look for parallels
but perhaps one of the references below might help you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Have you checked E. Rodziewicz's book of 2007 about bone objects from Alexandria?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Etan </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left; direction:ltr; unicode-bidi:embed"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:left" align="right"><span dir="LTR" style="font-size:12.0pt">Crowfoot, G.M. 1931.
<i>Methods of Hand Spinning in Egypt and the Sudan</i>. Halifax. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:left" align="right"><span style="font-family:Miriam" lang="HE"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:left" align="right"><span dir="LTR" style="font-size:12.0pt">Collingwood, P. 1982.
<i>The Techniques of Tablet Weaving</i>. London.</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:David" lang="HE"></span></p>
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