Rabbit holes of bone technology: production and the use wear of perforations on bones, shells and teeth
Abstract
Animal bones, teeth and mollusc shells were widely used for production of diverse artefacts, including ornaments. Some of the everyday tools, as well as some of the ornaments, needed to be suspended or attached to something, and usually perforations were made. Technology of making perforations through rather thick and resilient materials such as animal hard tissues without breaking them was rather demanding, and several technological procedures were used in prehistoric times. These included incising, drilling with a chipped stone artefact, drilling with bow drill, usually with sand added, while larger holes were made by larger, hollow instruments and with sand added. Sometimes, unfinished perforations served as ornament. There are also examples of naturally pierced mollusc shells that were collected and subsequently used as ornaments.
Use wear on perforations may provide information on how long the item was in use, and whether it was suspended, or it was attached to something, for ex...ample, some ornaments were most likely attached to the clothes. On ornaments worn for a very long time, for example, may be noticed that after perforation was broken, another one was made. Bracelets made from mollusc shells were occasionally recycled into pendants, by adding a perforation and other modifications. In this paper will be presented major techniques for production of perforations used in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period in the Balkans, as well as some of the interesting examples of intensive use wear traces.
Keywords:
bone industry - prehistory / koštana industrija - praistorija / prehistoric technology / praistorijska tehnologija / ornament - prehistorySource:
11th Scientific Conference Methodology and Archaeometry, 2023, 31-31Publisher:
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb
Collections
Institution/Community
Археолошки институт / Institute of ArchaeologyTY - CONF AU - Vitezović, Selena PY - 2023 UR - http://rai.ai.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1234 AB - Animal bones, teeth and mollusc shells were widely used for production of diverse artefacts, including ornaments. Some of the everyday tools, as well as some of the ornaments, needed to be suspended or attached to something, and usually perforations were made. Technology of making perforations through rather thick and resilient materials such as animal hard tissues without breaking them was rather demanding, and several technological procedures were used in prehistoric times. These included incising, drilling with a chipped stone artefact, drilling with bow drill, usually with sand added, while larger holes were made by larger, hollow instruments and with sand added. Sometimes, unfinished perforations served as ornament. There are also examples of naturally pierced mollusc shells that were collected and subsequently used as ornaments. Use wear on perforations may provide information on how long the item was in use, and whether it was suspended, or it was attached to something, for example, some ornaments were most likely attached to the clothes. On ornaments worn for a very long time, for example, may be noticed that after perforation was broken, another one was made. Bracelets made from mollusc shells were occasionally recycled into pendants, by adding a perforation and other modifications. In this paper will be presented major techniques for production of perforations used in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period in the Balkans, as well as some of the interesting examples of intensive use wear traces. PB - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb C3 - 11th Scientific Conference Methodology and Archaeometry T1 - Rabbit holes of bone technology: production and the use wear of perforations on bones, shells and teeth EP - 31 SP - 31 UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1234 ER -
@conference{ author = "Vitezović, Selena", year = "2023", abstract = "Animal bones, teeth and mollusc shells were widely used for production of diverse artefacts, including ornaments. Some of the everyday tools, as well as some of the ornaments, needed to be suspended or attached to something, and usually perforations were made. Technology of making perforations through rather thick and resilient materials such as animal hard tissues without breaking them was rather demanding, and several technological procedures were used in prehistoric times. These included incising, drilling with a chipped stone artefact, drilling with bow drill, usually with sand added, while larger holes were made by larger, hollow instruments and with sand added. Sometimes, unfinished perforations served as ornament. There are also examples of naturally pierced mollusc shells that were collected and subsequently used as ornaments. Use wear on perforations may provide information on how long the item was in use, and whether it was suspended, or it was attached to something, for example, some ornaments were most likely attached to the clothes. On ornaments worn for a very long time, for example, may be noticed that after perforation was broken, another one was made. Bracelets made from mollusc shells were occasionally recycled into pendants, by adding a perforation and other modifications. In this paper will be presented major techniques for production of perforations used in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period in the Balkans, as well as some of the interesting examples of intensive use wear traces.", publisher = "Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb", journal = "11th Scientific Conference Methodology and Archaeometry", title = "Rabbit holes of bone technology: production and the use wear of perforations on bones, shells and teeth", pages = "31-31", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1234" }
Vitezović, S.. (2023). Rabbit holes of bone technology: production and the use wear of perforations on bones, shells and teeth. in 11th Scientific Conference Methodology and Archaeometry Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb., 31-31. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1234
Vitezović S. Rabbit holes of bone technology: production and the use wear of perforations on bones, shells and teeth. in 11th Scientific Conference Methodology and Archaeometry. 2023;:31-31. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1234 .
Vitezović, Selena, "Rabbit holes of bone technology: production and the use wear of perforations on bones, shells and teeth" in 11th Scientific Conference Methodology and Archaeometry (2023):31-31, https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1234 .