Savaria - A Vas Megyei Múzeumok értesítője 30. (2006) (Szombathely, 2007)

Régészet - Choyke, Alice: A mindennapi élet és halál árnyjátékai: Gór–Kápolnadomb a proto-lengyeli kultúrában

SAVARIA AVAS MEGYEI MÚZEUMOK ÉRTESÍTŐJE, 30 Szombathely, 2006 SHADOWS OF DAILY LIFE AND DEATH AT THE PROTO-LENGYEL SITE OF GÓR-KÁPOLNADOMB Alice M. CHOYKE Aquincum Museum, H-1131 Budapest, Záhony u. 4., Hungary E-mail: H13017cho@iif.hu Medieval Studies Department, Central European University H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Nádor utca 9., Hungary E-mail: choyke@ceu.hu SHADOWS OF DAILY LIFE AND DEATH AT THE PROTO-LENGYEL SITE OF GÓR-KÁPOLNADOMB The rigorous study of bone tools from prehistoric sites has been almost totally neglected in Hungary in spite of the fact that this class of artifact can contribute to our understanding of the social organization and practical aspects of certain craft activities in the past. The choices made by artisans regarding how they make these tools and ornaments as well as how they choose to use them and discard them represent various expressions of individual and group social identity. The small sample of bone tools from Gór—Kápolnahalom represents an intriguing example of how attention to the details of manufacture and use wear can be used to establish contemporaneity of some of these tools with other Proto-Lengyel artifacts from the pit. The tool types are also described and precisely defined in ways that should be useful to other researchers working on similar materials. However, attention to the condition of these tools also invites speculation as to why they were thrown away when they were still unbroken and completely usable. What happened to their owner and user? Is it characteristic of Proto-Lengyel sites in general that good tools produced through complex manufacturing are sometimes thrown away or forgotten before the end of their working lives? A properly thought-provoking piece of work should generate more questions than it answers and it is hoped that younger readers will be inspired to pay greater, orderly attention to all the bone artifacts from their sites. INTRODUCTION Prehistoric bone, antler and tusk tools were used in a variety of activities from hide processing, sewing and basketry to ceramic manufacture. Some of these tools may have been specialized and some may have been multi-purpose. The rules governing 93