Long Bones and Antlers for Artifact Production in the Final Late Bronze Age Settlement of Thessaloniki Toumba (Northern Greece, 1210–1040 cal b.c.)

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present two significant patterns of osseous artifact production during the Final Late Bronze Age at the settlement mound of Thessaloniki Toumba in the northeastern Thermaic Gulf region in northern Greece and compare with data published from the same and neighboring regions. One pattern is the use of long bone fractures for shaping awls. The other is the production of pins from deer antlers. Awl manufacturing is consistent with the practice of the use of broken bones for a variety of tools, which had been common since the Early Bronze Age. The antler pins and some rare, elaborate objects, such as barbed-and-tanged points and horse bits, indicate innovation and interactions across different spatial scales toward the end of the Bronze Age. Research into the manufacturing processes may provide a more detailed understanding of the cultural and technological significance of these artifacts.