Bone and Antler Artefacts in Wetland Sites

Abstract

Animal bones and antler of cervidae are some of the most important raw materials for producing artefacts during the pre- and early metal (copper) ages. While during the Palaeolithic only few wetland sites with typical wet soil conservation are known, in the Neolithic, wetland sites are increasingly common, especially in Europe. One of the best-known regions of Neolithic and Bronze Age lake-dwellings is the Circum–Alpine foreland in central Europe. This chapter discusses the important interactions between available raw materials, technologies, and produced forms and types of artefacts, focusing on the Neolithic finds from the Swiss Circum–Alpine foreland, dating between 4300 and 2400 cal BC. It covers raw material and raw-material management, and types and forms of artefact.