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The Function of Mesolithic Bone and Antler Points

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The Function of Mesolithic Bone and Antler Points Anthropologieet Prdhistoire,I11, 2000, 114-1Zg The Function of Mesolithic Bone and Antler Points L6o B.M. VsnueRr L. Introduction vital body parts and organs, but rather its Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic bone and fixation potential. Dependent on the position of antler points are artefacts that always receive a the fixation point three variants of use can be lot of attention in the study of European hunter- recognised (Thompsory 1954). gatherer communities. Often the question has been raised what these implements were used 2.2. Points for lances or spears for and a large number of possibilities have been In contrast to harpoons, points for a lance suggested. The aim of this paper is to offer or a spear are fixed permanently on to a shaft. the archaeological data for a functional inter- By lances are defined implements not used for pretation within an economic context (Verhar! throwing, but rather for stabbing a prey. Spears 1990). The available archaeological data will be cover a greater distance and are thrown at a prey examined critically. I will discuss the various animal. Both types are hunting equipment with functional main types that can be distinguished, penetrating potential, aimed at bringing down the purpose to which these implements were a prey animal by hitting vital body parts and used and whaf if possible this implies for our organs, but a fixation function plays also a role. ideas concerning Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic hunting strategies. 2.3. Arrowheads The hunting implement that can be distin- 2. Functional classification guished hardly among points of bone and antler is the arrowhead. By studying On the basis of morphological attributes and a large findgroup of bone and antler points from Europoort, statistical research three functional groups can this type could be inferred statistically (Verhar! be distinguished within the main group of bone 1988). and antler points: In metrical aspects the arrowheads of L. harpoons, Europoort can be characterisedas points with a maximum length 2. points for lances or spears, of 85 mm, a mean barb length 3. arrowheads. of 4.3 mm and a mean base width of 8.8 mm (fig. 1). Within the Europoort group most arrow- heads demonstrate a tendency towards fixatiory 2.1. Harpoons somewhat comparable to the harpoon, whereas Harpoons are points with a thickening, notch others, like the simple plain points, show more or hole at the base, where a line can be attached. penetrating potential. These harpoons are affixed to the top of a javelin and the line, fixed to the base of the harpoory is connected to a shaft or held by the person 3. The function of bone and antler points throwing the harpoon. As it hits the prey animal, Graham Clark's ideas have been decisive the harpoon penetrates the body, the shaft is for our interpretation of bone and antler points released and the animal can be controlled by (Clark, 1948; 1975). He felt that this Vpe the line. Another possibility is to attach various of artefact was mainly used for fishing. He objects at the end of the line, to hamper the supported this hypothesis by pointing at three prey in its movement. A well known example finds of barbed points associatedwith skeletons is the inflated seal skin used by the Inuit in of pike (Kunda in Esthonia & Esperods Mosse hunting sea mammals. The major function of in Sweden; Clark, 1936:122) and comparisons "modern" the harpoon is not its penetrating poweq, hitting with fishing gear used by the Inuit of The Function of Mesolithic Bone and Antler Points 115 Cluster 1. Cluster 2 .l o1 o 2-3 o 4-5 foofoo I o. r OO aoao(Dil. oa e Oll .O o jQ3o o olQ Ooo o*lrr. of o' r o OOO r OOO ) 2 4 6 I 10 12 74 16 18 20 22 24 26 28m Mean Barblength Fig. 1 - Europoort the Netherlands. Diagram of length in relation to mean barb length in cluster L (arrowheads) and cluster 2 (spearheads). Canada and Greenland (Rau, 1884). Especially In direct association four harpoons have the ethnographic comparison led many scient- been found. TWo finds concern harpoons ists to the conclusion that barbed points were in skeletons of harp-seals (Phocagroenlandica; parts of leister prongs (fig. 2). This attribution Ndrpio, Finland [Leppiiaho, 19361; Skarvtjdrn, needs to be modified. Sweden [Cederschiold,1959]). The third find is a The problem to what purpose the three ringed seal (Phocahispida; Norrkopin& Sweden functional groups were used, can be approached [Lonnberg, 1908]). The fourth is also a harpoon in four ways: found in a ringed seal, but the identification L. which weapons are found in the prey anim- of this last point as a harpoon is dubious, als: the direct associatiorL since only the upper part survived (Oulujoki, 2. which weapons are found in the aicinity of a Finland [Leppiiaho, 1936]). Furthermore, in the prey animal: the indirect associatiorU description a stick with a diameter of 3.5 cm 3. associationby way of weathering traces, is mentioned. It is not inconceivable that this 4. association by way of statistical analyses of point was fixed to a shaft and used as a large find groups. spear. On the other hand, the skeleton was 116 L6o B. M. VEnHanr howeve4 a false impression. First of all, the 24 3 coastal settlements dating from the early phase of the Mesolithic have been coveredby Holocene deposits, obliterating finds from this period. Secondly,on a number of inland sites, far from the coast,harpoons have been found that could not be connected to the hunt for sea mammals. They might have been used in hunting large terrestrial mammals, but exactly which species is not clear. Usually reindeer is suggested, but settlements with many remains of reindeer FU rarely, if evet contain harpoons. These are only known from Meiendorf and Ahrensburg, three harpoons in all. The complete absence of harpoons at Pincevent (Leroi-Gourhan & Br6zilliory 1966) and the recent research into \',H the hunting techniques and hunting strategies of the Late Paleolithic in northwestern Europe (Gronnow, 1985; Bratlund, 1991), imply that bow and arrow must have been more important ll'fi in hunting than previously assumed. Spearsor lancesare more frequently directly associatedwith a wide range of animals. They have been found in direct associationwith fish, for example pike [a x] @sperodsmosse, Sweden [/ [Clark, 7948:58]; Kunda, Esthonia [Indreko, @ W 1948:49-50, 521; Abschrutery Poland [Gross, 1938:851)[fig. 3] and an unknown speciesof Fig, 2 The use of barbed points analogous to an fish (Zintery Poland [Engel, 1,935: 298-299]).Ter- ethnographic example. Left a pair of barbed points restrial animals represented are: two Mesolithic from Siretorp, Mjallby, Sweden (1-2) and right (3) bone (Klezewer Brticke, Poland IggS:299] leister prongs, mounted on wooden shaft, from the north- [Engel, and Friesack 27, ern Hudson's Bay region. (After Clark, I936:fig. 46). Getmany [Gramsclu 1990:211) and two Neolithic red deer (Wehrstedt, East Germany [Hemprich, 1938:88];Kage, Denmark found approx. 30 km from the former coastline, [Andersen, 198I:98]), one elk (High Furlong, which suggestsan interpretation as a harpoon. Great Britain [Hallam et aL, 19731)[fig. 4], one These data suggest that harpoons have been wild boar (Ordrup mose, Denmark [Gramsctr, used exclusively for hunting seals, especially 1973:93; Mathiassery 1935:1351)and one dog in the last phase of the Mesolithic. This is (Allerum, Sweden [Lid6ru 1942:16-18]). Finally, ,/ e \ ,/ # ,// OO \', l \ -/ / n\ \"" o o Fig. 3 - Skeleton of a pike with a barbed point in the region of the back from Kunda, Estonia. (After Indreko, 1948: fig. 15). The Function of Mesolithic Bone and Antler Points 117 30cm Fig. a - Bones of the left leg of an elk from High Furlong, Lancashire, Great Britain. '1.973:fig. In black the barbed point shot into the animal. (After Hallam et al., 2). there is a direct association from the cemetery 1,987a;1987b) and Ulkestrup (Andersen et al., of Bogebakkery where a point was found in a 1982:fig. 68) [fig. 8] and the impressionsfrom human body (Bogebakkery Vedbaek, Denmark bindings on points (Verhart, 1988),all prove the [Albrethsen& Petersen,7976:11]) [fig. 5]. There use of a single point. More oftery wooden fish are two examples from Denmark of an indirect spears as known from Aero (Jensery7982: 47) associationwith an elk (Skottemarke,Denmark ffig. 71, Siggeneben-Srid(Meurers-Balke, 1983) [Mohl, 1978]; Taaderup, Denrnark [Gramsch, and Bergschenhoek (Louwe Kooijm ans, 1987), 1973:931). The third type of association-the will have been used. Small fish will have weathering traces-suggests the use of points been caught mainly with traps and nets. These in fishing. On specimens from the Danish are known from Mesolithic sites in Denmark Amoset't traces of weathering have been found (MaglemosegArdVaenge []ensen, 1982:471;Ty- that could be connectedwith fishing (Andersery brind Vig [Andersen: 1985]) and the Early Neo- 1983:fig.24) [fig. 6]. The associationssuggest a lithic site at Bergschenhoek(Louwe Kooijmans, wide range of possibleuses. Fishing with spears, 7e87)[fig. e]. particularly for big fish, seems to have been Only one direct associationof an arrowhead limited almost exclusively to the Mesolithic. with a prey animal is known. This is a From the Neolithic hardly arry examples of Neolithic red deer from Trylleskovery Denmark this method of fishing are known. Hunting (Trylleskovery Denmark [Andersen, 1979: 98]). with the aid of a leister prong, derived from Using statistical analysis the occurrence of this ethnographical sources, can be substantiated type of implement could be demonstrated in only rarely in the Mesolithic. A single find from Europoort (Verhart, 1988) [fig.
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