Mária T. Biró: The Bone Objects of the Roman Collection. (Catalogi Musei Nationalis Hungarici. Seria Archeologica 2; Budapest, 1994)
VI. BONE OBJECTS OF EVERYDAY USE AND TOOLS MADE OF BONE - 2. Knives
of fine bone carvings left. There is a greater number of knife hafts with figurai (human and animal) decoration which ranked among luxury articles than simple bone hafts where the surface of the bone cylinder is at most decorated with concentric circles or linear scratches. Fig. 16. Knife shop Each kind of relic has its specific problems differing from other archaeological objects. There are always groups offering rich information which, due to their faculties are able to elucidate the mechanism of contemporary handicraft and its market relations better than any other surviving products. This phenomenon has its quantitative and qualitative causes. If an object is produced in very large number and its size gives great possibilities to decorative variations then it will be possible to prove — not only the dating and localization of these objects — but also the conformities of their production and their marketing. Applying these conditions to bone objects it can be established that during the four centuries of Imperial Age there were masses of pins, spindles and combs produced, however, their surface fitting for decoration is so restricted that they are not able to bear marks of real identification. It is not possible with the majority of pins and spindles even to date them. While the bone knife hafts are such relics of contemporary material culture that have survived in great number and the intricate character of their decoration is able to throw light upon several so far unknown relationships. In the Hungarian National Museum there is a carved bone knife haft preserved representing lion (No. 486.). Unfortunately the exact site of the find within the Province is unknown. The orientalized lion representation of the haft is a miniature copy of the lion of the monumental Bogazkale Arslanki Kapi. This lion representations occurs on knife hafts very frequently. There is a lion representation known from Chorint corresponding to the millimetre with the knife haft preserved in the Hungarian National Museum. Of the two representations the carving from Chorint is in better condition; the difference between them is not artistic but that of preservation. The knife haft was found in 1925 in the building of later period remaining near the "orchestra" of the Corinthian theatre by L. T. Shear. Among a number of ivory pins and terracotta sculptures it was found on the level dated by a coin of Julius Caesar Germanicus inscription. The finds were in Shear's opinion the votive objects of a sanctuary. 95
