Breaking a leg: An experimental study on the function of fragments from knapped metapodials in comparison to bone tools from the Dutch Neolithic sites of Schipluiden and Hardinxveld-Giessendam De Bruin.

Minimally modified bone tools have been a difficult subject inside the complicated topic of bone tools. Being problematic to recognise and characterise it has been the subject of several experimental studies. Two studies knapping larger faunal bone remains Mateo-Lomba, Fernández-Marchena, Ollé and Cáceres (2020) and Hind Saadek-Kooros (1972) were taken as references for this paper. This research is an extension of these studies. By knapping Capreolus capreolus metapodials with a hammer stone on an anvil for marrow removal bone fragments are created. 37 Usable fragments were created. These fragments are analysed by looking at possible use and the need for modifications for them to be categorised as certain bone tools. The fragments are compared to two Neolithic excavations, Schipluiden and Hardinxveld-Giessendam De Bruin, and through morphology given possible tool typing. The typing existed out of pins, needles, awls, chisels, blanks, spatulas, blacks, a scraper and a possible hide...Show moreMinimally modified bone tools have been a difficult subject inside the complicated topic of bone tools. Being problematic to recognise and characterise it has been the subject of several experimental studies. Two studies knapping larger faunal bone remains Mateo-Lomba, Fernández-Marchena, Ollé and Cáceres (2020) and Hind Saadek-Kooros (1972) were taken as references for this paper. This research is an extension of these studies. By knapping Capreolus capreolus metapodials with a hammer stone on an anvil for marrow removal bone fragments are created. 37 Usable fragments were created. These fragments are analysed by looking at possible use and the need for modifications for them to be categorised as certain bone tools. The fragments are compared to two Neolithic excavations, Schipluiden and Hardinxveld-Giessendam De Bruin, and through morphology given possible tool typing. The typing existed out of pins, needles, awls, chisels, blanks, spatulas, blacks, a scraper and a possible hide working tool. Three-quarters still needed modifications before being able to be used as tools. About 24% had the right shape to be used immediately, the biggest amount of these were awls. There were some fragments which also only needed light reshaping before use. This result showed that modifications are not necessarily needed when creating minimally modified bone tools.Show less

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Breaking a leg: An experimental study on the function of fragments from knapped metapodials in comparison to bone tools from the Dutch Neolithic sites of Schipluiden and Hardinxveld-Giessendam De Bruin.