Achaeometrical Research in Hungary II., 1988

ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY - László BARTOSIEWICZ: A quantitative assesment of red deer antler as raw material

was found in an inhumation grave an the location called Klenik on August 29, 1878, during the course of excavations directed by Deschmann and Schulz (DESCHMANN and HOCHSTETTER 1879: Taf. 10/3). Results The set of contemporary data analysed in this study offered three sets of results. First, on the level of basic research, relationships between antler dimensions were studied. The interpretation of the resulting trends is critically reviewed within a general, theoretical context. Finally, the application of results is outlined in a briefcase study. Biometrie calculations The statistical parameters of measurements summarized in Table 1 were calculated from the rich set of data used in trophy evaluations. First, the raw proportions between antler dimensions were calculated on the basis of the mean values characteristic of each variable (Table 2). Table 2 Univariate statistics of quantitative antler characteristics used in the reconstruction of antler size Variable Mean value ± standard error Coefficient of variation Mean % of beam length Coefficient for beam length lateral beam length 102.00 ±0.185 0.245 100.000 (1.0) eye tine length 34.74 ± 0.047 0.182 34.059 2.9 bez tine length 32.47 ±0.129 0.498 31.833 3.1 trez length 35.18 ±0.098 0.037 34.490 2.9 burr circumference 24.37 ± 0.020 0.109 23.892 4.2 lower beam circumference 14.79 ±0.013 0.122 14.150 7.1 upper beam circumference 13.54± 0.014 0.138 13.275 7.5 number of points in crown 4.71 ±1.279 3.617 antler weight 7.43 ±0.018 0.330 All true measurements selected for study in this paper were normally distributed. The number of points in the crown, however display great variability as well as a strong positive skew as was also observed in smaller, regional samples (BENCZE 1979: 187, Fig. 15). Greater numbers of points in the crown (above 5 on one side) are limited to only a few older individuals of outstanding trophy value. Linear antler measurements, however, could be reliably used in simple coefficients that can be used in the estimation of lateral beam length. The practical use of coefficients listed in the fourth column of this table is very simple. Thanks to the reference sample of immensely large size, multiplying a measurement available on any archaeological specimen with its respective coefficient in Table 2, provides a rather reliable estimate of beam length. Allometric calculations offer a somewhat more sophisticated approach to the same problem, whose practical application, however, would be somewhat more complex. For the purposes of relative growth studies trophies representing individuals killed at various ages, but in the same phase of the annual antler growth cycle (hunting season), were treated as part of a quasi ontogenetic continuum. Adhering to the hypothesis that antler 219