Bone Artifacts Research Articles

Documenting the effects of diagenesis on bone artifacts in coastal Florida through wetting experiments

ABSTRACT Rising sea and groundwater levels in coastal Florida have infringed on and wetted archaeological sites with some sites already submerged by rising sea levels. While studies of moisture-induced artifact diagenesis and destruction have been documented elsewhere, very little documentation exists for Florida and the faunal artifacts typical of Florida. This study sought to fill that gap by documenting the effects of wetting experiments on Floridian bone faunal artifacts. Our findings show that moisture-induced diagenesis and destruction is occurring at Florida sites and is more severe in older artifacts. Also, bone artifacts can retain moisture after the surrounding sediment matrix has dried. Furthermore, vertebrae across taxa are especially vulnerable to moisture-induced diagenesis while fish spines and scales are especially resistant. Although our data are limited, mammal bone seems especially vulnerable to diagenetic destruction, mammal bone being completely absent in the older assemblage, which is consistent with other artifact diagenesis studies. The implications of this study are that artifact assemblages excavated in Florida are biased by the postdeposition and pre-excavation loss of artifacts, specifically biased against diagenetic-prone bone (e.g., mammal and vertebrae) and toward diagenetic resilient bone (e.g., boney fish). This has implications both in terms of site interpretation and preservation priorities.

The Problem of the Origin, Localization and Chronology of the Tarya Late Neolithic Culture of Kamchatka

Purpose. This article presents one of the most brilliant ancient culture of Kamchatka – Tarya culture of the late Neolithic period. The author discusses the culture’s localization and chronology, lists the most important sites, gives a description of dwellings, characterizes the economy of Tarya people, and presents the culture material complex.Results. Early complexes attributed to the Tarya culture and determined by the 3rd millennium BC are represented by three archeological sites. They are characterized by a combination of small and large stone tools, various leaf-shaped points, sharp-edged adzes and axes, the absence of bone artifacts, and above-ground dwellings. This period is poorly represented in articles and possibly heterogeneous. The most represented period of the Tarya culture, for which the largest number of dates has been established, dates back to the 2nd and even more so to the 1st millennium BC. The main occupation of the Tarya people was fishing, hunting for land animals and catching sea animals in the rookeries.Conclusion. The most ancient sites of this culture are located on the southeast coast. As a result of the contacts of the Tarya coastal population with the inhabitants of the Kamchatka River valley, a continental cultural community of hunters and fishermen arose, which combined the blade technique and tools polishing, as well as, although to a lesser extent, the tradition of using labrets. Dating the Tarya culture should probably be dated to 2nd – 1st millennium BC. The Old Itel’men culture, in which local variants are distinguished, develops on the basis of the Tarya culture from the 1st millennium AD. Northern Kamchatka was probably the place of active cultural contacts between the ancient popu[1]lation of Kamchatka, Priokhot’e and Chukotka, where the local communities having a certain originality were formed.

Костяные изделия со стоянки среднего палеолита Рожок I (культурный горизонт VI) в Северо-Восточном Приазовье

The multilayer site of Rozhok I is a reference object for the study of the Middle Palaeolithic in the south of the Russian Plain. The well-preserved cultural remains lying in a thick bed of loess-soil sediments may shed light on a number of questions regarding the chronology and cultural affinities of the regional Middle Palaeolithic industries, as well as the economic activity of their makers and the character of manufacturing technologies used to produce stone and bone tools. Of special interest is a series of bone artifacts identified among faunal remains from cultural horizon VI. These include both lightly and heavily modified objects, some of which appear to have been associated with symbolic behavior. The paper presents the results of an in-depth technological analysis of these artifacts.

Analysis of Pigments from Decorated Antler or Bone Artifacts from the Early Iron Age Princely Burial Mounds in Jalžabet (NW Croatia)

During the Early Iron Age in Europe (EIA), the phenomenon of the Hallstatt culture enveloped a large portion of the European continent. Between the Atlantic Ocean and the River Danube, cultural groups can be roughly divided into two major regions: the Western and the Eastern Hallstatt circle. EIA finds made from organic material decorated with pigments are usually well-preserved only in specific conditions. A good example is the coloured textile found in the salt mines of the eponymous site Hallstatt (AT). Other examples are Scythian finds north and east of the Black Sea, far outside the Hallstatt culture area. This paper presents the results of the analysis of decorated artifacts made from bone or antlers from Jalžabet (NW Croatia). The artifacts were found in two princely burial mounds with incinerated remains: burial mound 1 (Gomila) and burial mound 2. The funerary monuments belong to the Eastern Hallstatt culture and date back to the middle of the 6th century BC, i.e., the end of the Ha D1 period. A group of scientists from Croatia and abroad performed several series of analyses on the selected bone or antler artifacts. The motifs on the artifacts were made by incisions and were filled with black pigment, and there are faint traces of red pigment on the surface. With the help of colourant analysis performed in Brussels and Zagreb (SEM-EDX, MRS, FT-IR), zooarchaeological taxonomic identification, and archaeological determination of a selected group of findings from Jalžabet, we have tried to answer several major questions. The most important question being: are the traces of pigments on artefacts deliberate decoration? If so, can we determine the composition of the paint? What kind of raw materials were used for the production of the artifacts? These questions are important because these kinds of EIA finds are rare and even more rarely analysed. New data would considerably expand our knowledge about the funeral rites of the most prominent members of the Hallstatt nobility in the Drava River valley and Central Europe. Taxonomically, the raw material from which the finds were made was identified to be antlers, probably from red deer (Cervus elaphus). Using methods for colourant analysis, we have successfully proven deliberate application of black paint based on carbon black as a pigment, probably in combination with terpenoid resin. Until now, this composition was only known from much later, Roman-period finds. Also, it was confirmed that the black paint on the artifacts from both burial mounds in Jalžabet is of the same composition. The red pigment on the finds has been identified as hematite. It is highly probable that the red surfaces were deliberate, painted decoration. The probability of extracting the raw material needed for the production of the red paint in the Jalžabet micro-region was also established and requires further research (bog iron ore). The archaeological analysis of the finds supports the idea of the use of various types of decorated plates as inlays, probably on furniture or other luxury everyday items. Smaller finds could have been used as utilitarian objects, parts of attire, and jewellery.

Bird bone artifact from the Late Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age site of Zók (Hungary)

AbstractBird bones were rarely used for production of artifacts, due to various reasons—they were much smaller and thinner than bones of mammals usually selected for tool production; they also have specific shapes and fine structure, inadequate for the majority of common artifact types. They were occasionally used for some specific objects, such as flutes, pipes, needle cases, and amulets. When it comes to the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age periods in south‐eastern Europe, bird bone artifacts are rare; only few have been discovered thus far. In this paper, we will present one additional finding of a bird bone artifact, from the site of Zók–Gradina, situated in present‐day Hungary. Excavations carried out in 1920 by the National Museum in Belgrade revealed a multi‐period site, with major parts of the stratigraphic sequence belonging to the Late Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age Vučedol culture (2900–2500/2400 BC). Vučedol layers yielded relatively large quantities of worked bone, including one artifact produced from a bird bone, that will be presented here. The object in question was produced from the right radius of a Cygnus sp.; it is in the shape of an elongated tube; carefully cut at both ends. The function of this item is uncertain—it may have served as some sound‐producing instrument (flute), or it was some sort of a handle or needle case. It is interesting to note that bird representations, in particular, ornithomorphic vessels, are among the specific traits of the Vučedol culture; therefore, the choice of a bird bone for the production of this artifact may have had a certain symbolic significance as well.

Fishhooks, fishing spears, and weaving: The bone technology of Madjedbebe, Northern Australia

AbstractArcheological assemblages of osseous material culture are rare in the Australian context, especially in the north where environmental conditions are not usually conducive to organic preservation. Nevertheless, more than 230 bone artifacts were recovered from the site of Madjedbebe, located in the Mirarr clan estate of the Alligator Rivers region of the Northern Territory. Of these artifacts, 199 have been identified to tool type. Here, we present the analysis of this exceptional assemblage, including the recovery of one‐piece jabbing fishhooks, numerous fishing‐spear tips, fragments of weaving tools, and possible osseous elements originating from ornamental pieces. The size and diversity of the Madjedbebe osseous technology assemblage is unique in the north and provides new insights into the lives of Mirarr peoples over the past 7,000 years.

A Late Paleolithic Housing and Utility Complex at Afontova Gora IV (Ovrazhnaya): New Findings (2020–2021)

The study focuses on a specific area of Afontova Gora !V (0vrazhnaya)-a newly discovered Late Paleolithic site in Krasnoyarsk. We describe the diversity of cultural and utilitarian traditions at Afontova Gora and tackle the problem of detecting remains of dwellings in the structure of Paleolithic deposits. Brief information on the geomorphology and stratigraphy of the site and on the location of archaeological features in the paleorelief of Afontova Gora slopes is provided. We analyze the surface of the specific part of the site with remains of dwellings. Results of the statistical and typological analyses of lithics and bone artifacts are presented, along with information on microknapping and procession of stone, groups of rocks, species composition of fauna, and resource utilization. We reconstruct activities associated with various zones of the site. Results of surface (intrasite spatial) analysis are outlined. A dwelling with a single hearth and a utility zone are delimited and shown to be contemporaneous. Debitage connections are traced, places of individual activities are located, and directions whereby humans and artifacts had migrated are reconstructed. Ethnographic parallels are discussed; regularities in the distribution of cultural remains around the hearth in a radial fashion, with free deposition in certain places, are assessed. Drop zones, front and back toss zones, and microdeformations of the "fioor" are pinpointed. The radiocarЬon age of the complex is estimated at ~15.5 ka, Ьased on several 14 C dates. It is concluded that habitation deposits with remains of a camp and one dwelling have been detected. Prospects for further studies are outlined.

Animal Bones, Bone Artefacts and Bone Working at Late Bronze Age Fortified Settlements in North-Eastern Lithuania: Sokiškiai, Mineikiškės and Garniai I

The article discusses artefacts made of osseous materials found in the Late Bronze Age fortified settlement sites in north-eastern Lithuania. Earlier, Bronze Age bone items from three Lithuanian sites – Narkūnai, Nevieriškė and Ke­reliai – have been analysed more thoroughly. Of sites discussed here, Sokiškiai has been archaeologically investigated in the beginning of the 1980-ies. In recent years, research has been carried out on the fortified settlements of Mineikiškės and Garniai I. 14C AMS dates have been used to date new sites as well as to specify the dates of previously studied settlements. During this research, approximately half a hundred bone, antler and tooth objects were examined, and the material used to make them was determined, if possible up to the species and skeletal part. Among the materials used, bone predominated, antler was used less, and teeth were used in only a few cases. An overview is given of the common types of bone objects, the processing techniques used to make them and the uses of the objects. The majority of tools are chisels and scrapers, and awls and points, many of which could have been used as leather working tools. The third major group of finds is bone pins, which testify to the clothing fashion that needed pins for attachment. Comparing the finds of Late Bronze Age fortified settlements in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Byelorussia, greater similarity can be observed in certain types of bone artefacts in south-eastern Latvia, north-western Byelorussia, and north-eastern Lithuania.

The Trickster and the Witch

At the centre of this article stands a striking but poorly understood artefact held at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm (NM.0159389): A piece of bovine leg bone carved in the likeness of a human skull. Traditionally described as an “idol”, the artefact belongs to abundle of “witchcraft tools” (trolltyg) that have been attributed to the legendary witch, “captain Elin”, loosely built on the historical person Elin Eriksdotter from Mofikerud, who was tried in a late witch trial in Näs, Värmland, in 1720. Scholars have long knownthat the attribution of the skull figure and most of the other items to Elin is false. In this article, we first describe how the association with “captain Elin” arose, shedding new light on the creation of the legend and its association with the “witchcraft tools”. Secondly,we present new archival evidence that suggests an entirely different context for the bone artefact, namely in the encounters between Romani people and the majority population at the end of the Swedish Great Power era. We discuss the significance of this new contextfor the cultural memory of magic and witchcraft in Sweden, and for our understanding of the Romani minority’s place in early-modern society.

Neolithic materials from the main chamber of Ciemna Cave, southern Poland (excavation between 2007 to 2012)

This paper presents the results of the detailed analysis of Neolithic ceramic, stone and bone artefacts found in the main chamber of Ciemna Cave during excavations between 2007 and 2012. The Neolithic materials from Ciemna Cave are connected with Linear Pottery culture, the Lengyel-Polgár cycle (the Malice culture, the Pleszów group, and the Wyciąże-Złotniki group), Funnel Beaker culture and Baden culture. The assemblage is dominated by artefacts linked mainly with the Pleszów group and Baden culture. A noteworthy achievement is the establishment of a stratigraphic correlation between Neolithic materials and artefacts from other archaeological periods. Ciemna Cave is one of Poland’s most influential Neolithic cave sites with numerous diverse Neolithic materials.

Bone and stone industries of the Middle Trans-Urals: continuity and innovation in the transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic

The paper presents an analysis of bone and stone industries of the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic of the Middle Trans-Urals. Researchers of the Neolithic usually consider that stone and bone inventories played an auxiliary role. But these features are basic for the Mesolithic where ceramic is absent. A comparison of industries of the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic, identification of their semblance and difference is the main indicator of the role of local Late Mesolithic traditions in the formation of Early Neolithic cultures. This research has showed a continuity of bone and stone industries of the Middle Trans-Urals from the Early Mesolithic to Early Neolithic. Main functional groups of bone artefacts, many tool types and methods of their manufacture existed during this whole time period. Transformation of bone industry during the Mesolithic Early Neolithic manifested in emergence of new categories and types of artefacts at every stage of its development. Stone industries of the Middle and Late Mesolithic display great similarity. The continuity in the Mesolithic Early Neolithic stone and bone industries of the Middle Trans-Urals indicates a formation of the Early Neolithic of this territory on the local substrate.

Species identification of early colonial bone artefacts excavated from Pyrmont, Australia, by mass spectrometric identification of collagen peptides

Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) is a peptide mass fingerprinting technique that analyses Collagen 1A1 and 1A2 marker peptides for the genus- or species-level identification of fragmentary bones in the archaeological record. Traditionally, this analysis is performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS) to identify characteristic m/z values of known marker peptides. Here we present data on the application of a modified paleoproteomics approach, using nanoflow liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry proteomics, to the analysis of a collection of six early colonial Australian (early to mid-19th Century CE) worked bone artefacts, believed to be mostly knife handles, excavated from a site in Pyrmont, Sydney, Australia in 2017. We were successfully able to identify characteristic marker peptides for bovine COL1A1 and COL1A2 in all six bone artefacts.

A comparison of minimally-invasive sampling techniques for ZooMS analysis of bone artifacts

Bone and antler are important raw materials for tool manufacture in many cultures, past and present. The modification of osseous features which take place during artifact manufacture frequently make it difficult to identify either the bone element or the host animal, which can limit our understanding of the cultural, economic, and/or symbolic factors which influence raw material acquisition and use. While biomolecular approaches can provide taxonomic identifications of bone or antler artifacts, these methods are frequently destructive, raising concerns about invasive sampling of culturally-important artifacts or belongings. Collagen peptide mass fingerprinting (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry or ZooMS) can provide robust taxonomic identifications of bone and antler artifacts. While the ZooMS method commonly involves destructive subsampling, multiple minimally-invasive sampling techniques also exist. In this paper, we compare three previously proposed minimally-invasive sampling methods (forced bag, eraser, and polishing film) on an assemblage of 15 bone artifacts from the pre-contact site EjTa-4, a large midden complex located on Calvert Island, British Columbia, Canada. We compare the results of the minimally-invasive methods to 10 fragmentary remains sampled using the conventional destructive ZooMS method. We assess the reliability and effectiveness of these methods by comparing MALDI-TOF spectral quality, the number of diagnostic and high molecular weight peaks as well as the taxonomic resolution reached after identification. We find that coarse fiber-optic polishing films are the most effective of the minimally-invasive techniques compared in this study, and that the spectral quality produced by this minimally-invasive method was not significantly different from the conventional destructive method. Our results suggest that this minimally-invasive sampling technique for ZooMS can be successfully applied to culturally significant artifacts, providing comparable taxonomic identifications to the conventional, destructive ZooMS method.

The Antler, Ivory, and Bone Artefacts from Maszycka Cave (Southern Poland). New Signals from a Late Upper Palaeolithic Key Site

The well-known Late Upper Palaeolithic cave site of Maszycka (southern Poland), excavated in the end of the nineteenth century as well as in the 1960s, furnished a collection of 89 osseous artefacts manufactured from cervid antler, mammoth ivory, and mammal long bone. The great majority are finished tools, mostly projectile points, while raw material blocks, pre-forms, and production waste are represented by only a few pieces. Based on the presence of the characteristic double-split antler tools, distinct projectile morphologies, and recurring ornaments, the assemblage from Maszycka can be assigned to the early Middle Magdalenian facies à navettes which dates to around 19 - 17.5 ka cal. BP. Compared to the western European sites, which also belong to this facies, Maszycka is characterised by a high proportion of ivory tools, reflecting the abundance of this favourable raw material in eastern central Europe, as well as an unusually high proportion of decorated tools, which may relate to an increased need for symbolic communication within the small and geographically isolated Magdalenian group. Both the remarkable typo-technological similarities of the bone industry from Maszycka to contemporary assemblages in France and the gap in the central European archaeological record between 22 and 19 ka cal. BP speak in favour of a direct immigration of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers from western Europe immediately after the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. Their relations to the bearers of the Epigravettian adjacent to the east and south remain to date poorly understood.

"Dom zmarłych” z Chodlika, gm. Karczmiska, woj. lubelskie. przyczynek do studiów nad grobami typu alt käbelich

The article presents the results of archaeological research into an Alt Käbelich-type grave discovered in Chodlik, Karczmiska county, Lublin province. The pit contained layer burials of five individuals. The bone material included also horse remains. Other archaeological material contained fragments of clay utensils as well as pieces of metal and bone artefacts destroyed in fire. On the basis of 3D documentation, at attempt has been made to reconstruct the object by means of digital technology. The Chodlik discovery is a ontribution to the research into the occurrence of the Alt Käbelich type of graves and the concept of the so-called “house of the dead” in the Western Slavic Dominion.

Consolidation of Fragile Archaeological Bone Artifacts: A review

Consolidation of Fragile Archaeological Bone Artifacts: A review

New Data on Bone Processing Methods in the Late Mesolithic of the Russian Federationn Plain (based on materials from the wetland Site Zamostje 2): methodological aspects of experimental traceological analysis

This study is aimed to discover evolution peculiarities of bone processing techniques in the Late Mesolithic period (2nd half of VII mill. BC – beginning of VI mill. BC) based on the wetland multilayer site Zamostje 2, a reference settlement for Eastern Europe. The wellpreserved surface of organic artefacts enables authors to run an experimental traceological analysis with focus on traces of processing and use at various observation levels, which made it possible to reconstruct technical methods, general production features and specific types of work performed with ancient tools. The advantage of this study is that the results of the analysis and theoretical conclusions can be validated and verified using the same site’s materials. As a foundation for the interpretation of traces observed on the surface of bone artefacts and stone tools used in bone processing, the authors used reference traces obtained during specially conducted experiments. In the methodological context, the authors attempted to distinguish diagnostic features at the micro- and macroscopic levels of traces of bone processing in its various states (freshly frozen, freshly boiled, dry) confirmed by the description and visual data. Following the analysis, the authors succeeded in identifying parallels in the archaeological material as well as reconstructing some characteristic types of work and the context of their execution.

Accessing the ephemeral using multiscale 3D microscopy of bone microwear

Ancient people used perishable resources much as people do today. Such materials do not preserve well in the archaeological record, and so there are types of items that would have been made from animal skins or vegetal matter like clothing, footwear, and containers that are not present in many assemblages. Direct evidence for such items is often lacking, but indirect evidence in the form of microwear traces can be found on more durable materials, such as bone tools, that interacted with these less permanent items prior to deposition. In this study, 3D microscopic methods are applied to quantitatively evaluate traces from three perishable materials (semi-fresh animal skin, processed split leather, and dry bark) on experimental bone tools. Bones were scanned on two objectives (20x and 100x) with a confocal disc-scanning microscope and evaluated using 3D surface texture parameters. Quantitative measurements of the bone surfaces varied at the different scales, but material wear patterns were evident and indicative of the differences in properties of the three materials. This study indicates that the use of 3D microscopic methods on bone tools at multiple scales is useful for understanding how contact with perishable materials affects bone surfaces. This method has the potential to indirectly evaluate ephemeral resources that once came into contact with ancient bone artifacts and reconstruct some of the less tangible aspects of ancient human behavior.

Preparation of bactericidal zinc oxide nanoparticles loaded carboxymethyl cellulose/polyethylene glycol cryogel for gap filling of archaeological bones

Gaps and holes derived from different sources represent a major problem for archaeological bone artifacts, as they lead to their weakness. Cryogel materials have become vital in various scientific applications due to their multiple advantages such as their lightweight, mechanical and chemical stability, etc. This current study aimed to design, evaluate and apply a unique porous structure of carboxymethyl cellulose cryogel loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as a new technique for gap filling of archaeological bone artifacts. The cryogel was formed by blending carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyethylene glycol PEG), and Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) with different concentrations of ZnO NPs. This current study proved that the addition of ZnO NPs especially with high concentration to cryogels improved the appearance of the surface morphology, reduced the high surface area, gave less activity towards swelling, increased the hydrothermal stability and mechanical characteristics, and gave good resistance against studied bacteria and yeast. From, the obtained results, it can be concluded that the cryogel loaded with ZnO NPs is suitable to fill gaps and cracks of archaeological bones.

Utilitarian art and art-related objects in the Urals’ Palaeolithic

Stone and bone artefacts serving as expedient food-procurement and processing implements are the principal and most frequent findings at Palaeolithic sites. Utilitarian art items, often aesthetically fashioned artefacts, are much less common. Emergence of cognitive art within the broader Ural region was determined by progressive cultural developments and adaptations of anatomically modern human beings to mosaic mountain settings and parkland-steppes. At the Urals’ Late Pleistocene cave sites, objects, which were made frequently of unusual and rare materials and are presumed to be of a ritual nature, are represented by adornments and artworks bearing stylized pictorial images. Zoomorphic figurines produced from flint and mammoth ivory document the high skills of Stone Age artisans. The earliest, utilitarian, art-related works of the Urals include sculptures using natural pre-forms such as river pebbles and animal bones, occasionally ochre-painted or ornamented by incising or engraving. Personal decorations are represented by pendants and beads made of stone, shell, bone, and teeth of animals. Rare exemplars are made from material of non-local provenance, such as petrified wood or segments of fossil sea-lily (crinoids) and are indicators of a broad geographic activity-range and/or regional interactions among local groups of hunter-gatherers. Artisanal instruments associated with rock art, for example, lamps made from stone and clay as well as pieces of ochre, belong to a specific category. Aesthetic-looking minerals with appealing colours and textures, such as serpentine, rock crystal, chalcedony, and jasper, it may be assumed, were intended for religious or cultic purposes, but also may have been curated simply because of their natural rarity. These art-related items likely had symbolic value and spiritual meaning apart from purely decorative function. Understanding utilitarian art objects offers insights to every-day life of the Palaeolithic people of the Urals, and their behavioural and environmental adjustments, which culminated in multifarious, iconographic expressions at the end of the Last Glacial stage.