Abstract
AbstractThe following study summarizes the available ethnographical, historical, and archaeological data about the use of fish skin as a material. Fish skin and the methods of its processing are described. The fish skin utilisation accounts from around the world are collected in an organized matter. Afterwards the various factors affecting the use of this material are discussed and some concluding remarks about the further research possibilities are proposed. The use of fish skin does not appear to be based purely on climate, subsistence strategies, or the availability of fish, but also on cultural norms and traditions. Careful hypotheses can be made by using relational analogies, but ultimately a re-examination of museum collections or new archaeological discoveries are fundamental in furthering this field of research.
Highlights
Fish as a source of animal protein and fat has been exploited by humans for a considerable period of time
While this claim might be true for some parts of the world, usually there are other resources that could be substituted for the fish skin
Fish skin is a material seldom thought of when building narratives about the Prehistory of Europe
Summary
Fish as a source of animal protein and fat has been exploited by humans for a considerable period of time. By collecting the mainly ethnographic data I aimed to find and set down a summary of cultural and environmental traits leading to fish skin use. These findings can be applied to the prehistoric populations in general, Europe is my main area of interest. I believe that by collecting the available data and extracting the core traits, i.e. finding out what the factors leading to fish skin use are, we can make assumptions about past usage of this material. In this sense I lean closer to the “processualistic” approach. Whether it’s their own analysis of the available ethnographical and historical data, or the evaluation of new discoveries, this paper should provide a solid foundation for their work
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