Tárnoki Judit szerk.: Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 19. (2009)

Természettudomány és régészet - Alice M. Choyke - László Bartosiewicz - Telltale tools from a tell: Bone and antler manufacturing at Bronze Age Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom, Hungary

Tisicum XIX. The single example found here comes from the middle phase at the site.

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2 This type is also found in low numbers, although not consistently, at a number of coeval sites in Hungary such as Tisazug-Kéménytető.

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3 However, it is a small bone tool type and may often not have been found. The frequencies of this type may also be affected by what part of these complex settlements the excavation impact. Large awls without worked basis (Schibler1/9)(H 1.2%; H-F .6%; K .9%; S 2.6%). These large, well made points, are typically not common for sites of this period. They tend to be highly modified so that they fall towards the Class I end of the manufacturing continuum.

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4 With their strong points, they may have been used in some special craft involving thick but soft material. Needles (Schibler type 21/1), (H -; H-F .6%; K -; S 2.5%). There are three pointed tools with drilled ends in this assemblage, one from the middle phase and two from the assemblage of stray objects. One may have been used in something like net-weaving

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5 while the other, finer specimen

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6 could have been used in sewing cloth or leather. Needles are relatively unusual but consistently present tools sites from all prehistoric periods in the Carpathian Basin, perhaps because the majority of needles were usually made from perishable raw materials such as wood. Wild boar scraper (Schibler type 17), (H 4.7%; H-F .6%; K .9%; S 1.2%). S-shaped, Class I scrapers based on split lower canines of wild boar and large domestic swine are found from the Neolithic period onwards in prehistoric Hungary. They are found consistently at Middle Bronze Age sites throughout the country. After splitting, the inside of the tusk was scraped with a flint tool and one edge strengthened by creating a long facet with an edge at a more oblique angle compared to the natural edge after splitting. The edge is usually chipped and displays signs of continuous renewing, creating the characteristic S-shape that developed in the later stages of curation. These would have made excellent scrapers for work requiring a strong hard and strong edge, for example wood working and bark scraping. Ornamental objects (CH 7%; LH 5.4%; K 4.6%; S -). This category includes all drilled animal teeth (domestic pig, horse, dog, wolf, wild boar, brown bear), antler handles and an antler cylinder with an incised meander decoration as well as antler horse harness elements. All these elements can be found widely distributed beyond Hungary into Slovakia, Austria and Serbia in this period and are good examples of why this category is actually not very good for identifying 42 CHOYKE, Alice M. 2005, fig. 10, awl 9, p.138. 43 CHOYKE, Alice M. - BARTOSIEWICZ, László 1999-2000. 44 CHOYKE, Alice M. 2005, fig. 10, awls 4 and 5, p. 138. 45 CHOYKE, Alice M. 2005, fig. 10, awls 7, p. 138. 46 CHOYKE, Alice M. 2005, fig. 10, awls 8, p. 138. Stray finds Figure 6. The chronological distribution of worked antler weights at Jászdózsa-Kápolnahalom (after Choyke 2005,140). most social boundaries. The maxillary upper canines of pig, drilled through the root and the drilled incisor of horse are particular to this site. The fact that horse teeth are used for personal decoration in the Koszider levels underscores their special role in this period. Drilled canines from dog are found everywhere on prehistoric sites in Hungary although they seem to be particularly common on sites such as Százhalombatta-Földvár, where dog was certainly ascribed a special symbolic, protective meaning, possibly connected with the rise of sheep herding there.

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7 The use of drilled brown bear canine is a special feature of the Middle Bronze Age in the Carpathian Basin. A huge split wild boar canine has multiple suspension holes along one edge and comes from the late Hatvan occupation. Similar finds are also known from Tiszaug-Kéménytető.

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8 Finally there is a single example of a small flat pendant made from antler with incised decoration. Antler working remained an important activity in all levels of the site (H 23.4%; H-F 24.6%; K 21.3%; S 3.8%). Another way of measuring relative amounts of antler is by weight but here too, factoring in differences in the sizes of the sub-samples, the amounts of antler used seem fairly even throughout the history of the site, with a dominance of Hatvan-Füzesabony antler in terms of weight (Figure 6). Normally, red deer antler refuse material like this, comprises no more than 5% of the worked osseous material in assemblages at other coeval tell settlements. For example, there is relatively very little compared by Jászdózsa 47 CHOYKE, Alice M. ef al. 2004. 48 CHOYKE, Alice M. - BARTOSIEWICZ, László 1999-2000. 364