BONE AND ANTLER PRODUCTS FROM THE SMALL HILLFORT OF HORODSK

Abstract

The materials of bone processing from the Small Hillfort of Horodsk (the Korostyshiv Region of the Zhytomyr Oblast) stored in the Institute of Archeology of NAS of Ukraine are published in the paper. The analysis of the products, technique of manufacture and level of development of bone-carving craft is provided.
 Bone artefacts include the completed products, blanks and bone raw material with traces of processing. Bone artifacts come from the cultural layer and the objects dated to two periods: the 12th — first half of the 13th centuries and the second half of 13th—14th centuries.
 The composite bilateral comb, socketed arrowhead, fragment of the toggle clasp, two products of tubular bones (bird and animal bones) and the amulet from fish vertebra with the drilled hole could be undoubtedly dated back to the 12th — the first half of 13th centuries. Most likely we also can date to this period the amulet of fang of predator with a hole at one end which comes from the cultural layer.
 According to the conditions of find and some analogies the keel-like arrowtip with a splay flat stem, three end parts of knife handles and the hemispherical button could be considered the products of the second half of the second half of 13th—14th centuries. The find from Horodsk confirms the possibility of manufacture of this type of buttons in Rus in the post-Mongol period.
 In addition to the completed products the traces of antler processing in the form of scattered deer antlers and semi-finished products were found. The whole complex of bone and antler artefacts (small number of products and the lack of objects with signs of bone-carving workshops) testifies to the possibility of existence of bone-carving handicraft in the hill-fort only as auxiliary craft.