MAKING SILENT BONES SPEAK: THE ANALYSIS OF ORPHANED OSSEOUS TOOLS ILLUSTRATED WITH STRAY FINDS BALTICA 25 BALTICA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ,1 MATHIAS BJØRNEVAD,1* BENTE PHILIPPSEN,2 CHRISTIAN HOGGARD,1 JAN J. ENGHILD,3 CARSTEN SCAVENIUS,3 ASTA VASILIAUSKAITĖ,4 GERARDA DRUČKUVIENĖ,4 PETER JENSEN,1 RIKKE MARING,1 1 5 1

JAMES DODD, KAMIL SERWATKA, FELIX RIEDE ARCHAEOLOGIA

Abstract

Orphaned osseous tools are very often perceived as having a high aesthetic value, but are usually under-examined. This article illustrates the research potential of these artefacts, with a case study of Mesolithic stray finds from . Four bone points from the River Šventoji, Vaikantonys, Obšrūtai and Kamšai were subjected to AMS dating, tandem mass spectrometry for I animal species identification, and technological and use-wear analysis. The results revealed that all four bone points could be dated to the period, and imply an Early to Middle Mesolithic date. from the River Šventoji and Kamšai IN NORTHERN were most likely made of aurochs bones. All of the bone points were produced from long sections of tubular long bones, and : three of the points show signs of reuse. Overall, the analysis revealed similarities with contemporaneous material in northern CHANGES IN Europe. Within the context of the present research, the paper briefly describes other scientific methods which could be applied LANDSCAPE, to orphaned bone and antler tools, including biomolecular and stable isotope analysis. Digital recording methods can be use- AND BELIEFS ful for bone artefact recording. This is relevant today, as the demand for good-quality digital representations is increasing, in order to apply software for further analysis, such as geometric morphometrics. As a result, more widespread and systematic applications of these new methods to orphaned osseous finds would lead to a significant activation of these finds in a scientific and outreach context. Key words: Mesolithic, osseous tools, AMS dates, protein-based analysis, use-wear. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ab.v25i0.1830

Introduction In the light of recent methodological developments, we see this disregard of orphaned osseous objects as Many thousands of osseous objects lie in museum col- unwarranted. The focus of this paper, therefore, is to lections, and many new objects are found every year. illustrate the significant research potential of such os- However, all too often these objects, especially those seous tools, even those lacking any detailed informa- found either during older excavations without modern tion regarding find context, and to outline a number methodology and recording, or as stray finds, languish of both conventional and rapidly developing scientific under-utilised, under-researched and often undisplayed methods that can be used to study recently excavated in museum storerooms. Such stray or orphaned objects finds, as as objects lacking any contextual infor- often have an intrinsic aesthetic value, but are com- mation. This will be illustrated by a series of analyses monly under-studied, or not studied at all. At best, of four osseous points from Lithuania. The specific minimal information is inferred from casual typologi- objects studied as part of this research were chosen be- cal comparison. The under-researched of these cause they also represent Mesolithic osseous objects objects can be attributed to a lack of funding, a lack of with little information on the find circumstances, and knowledge regarding applicable methods, and the idea inconsistent interpretations regarding their cultural and that these objects, especially those from older excava- chronological associations. Thus, the results of our tions and stray finds, have had their research potential analyses contribute significantly to the clarification of stripped by the passing of time since they were recov- previously ambiguous interpretations. They also con- ered, partly due to a lack of records or known find con- tribute important new knowledge to our understanding texts (Voss 2012). of Mesolithic bone in Lithuania vis-à-vis contemporaneous osseous tool technologies in north- ern Europe. 53

Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al.

Fig. 1. Map showing the locations of the Mesolithic bone point finds presented in the text.

The background of the case studies the early occupation and osseous technology of Lithu- ania in a northern European context (Fig. 2). In addi- The four objects presented in the paper are currently tion, our analysis aimed to illustrate the usefulness and held at the Vytautas the Great War Museum (VDKM), timeliness of analysing orphaned organic artefacts in and are all stray finds from peat digging. The find cir- the light of recent methodological developments. cumstances of these objects are not unusual. In fact, The first artefactVDKM: ( AR 2437) is a fragment they match the majority of Lithuanian prehistoric bone of a found in 1978 on the right bank of the and antler artefacts, which are also stray finds from River Šventoji in the vicinity of Kavarskas (Anykščiai wetland environments, and which were most often district). Only the distal portion of a uniserial harpoon found during peat digging and other agricultural work with three large well-distinguished barbs remains. Di- during the interwar period (Fig. 1). This situation is mensions: L= 10.5 centimetres, W= 2.4 centimetres, also true of prehistoric osseous objects elsewhere in T= 0.8 centimetres, with an ancient oblique fracture at northern Europe. the current base of the harpoon. The stray find has not One slotted bone point (VDKM: AR 6) is currently on been published before. display. The remaining artefacts are held in storerooms. The second artefact (VDKM: AR 6) is a slotted bone None of these objects have previously been studied in point found near Vaikantonys. Currently, nine flint in- any detail, they have been part of the museum displays, serts remain intact, although originally almost the en- and are shown in publications as examples of charac- tire side of the point would have been flint-edged. With teristic Mesolithic object types (Rimantienė 1996; a modern slight break at the tip, and an older break near Girininkas 2009; Galiński 2013). the base, the current dimensions are L= 24.5 centime- These four objects were chosen as case studies pri- tres, W= 1.8 centimetres, T= 0.6 centimetres. It was marily since very few osseous tools in Lithuania are found during drainage work 0.5 metres deep, close to known from the earliest periods of . This rar- the River Varėnė (Rimantienė 1974, p. 75). ity alone makes these objects valuable scientifically, The third artefact (VDKM: AR 7) is also a slotted as they may be able to provide important insights into bone point with flint inserts from Obšrūtai (Vilkaviškis 54 BALTICA 25 BALTICA ARCHAEOLOGIA

Fig. 2. The Mesolithic barbed and slotted bone points analysed in this paper, from top to bottom: River Šventoji (VDKM: AR 2437), Vaikantonys (VDKM: AR 6), Obšrūtai (VDKM: AR7), Kamšai (VDKM: AR 1) (photograph by Iga Kuriata, Moesgaard Museum). I district). The current dimensions are L= 21.4 centime- ing the location of the remaining artefacts (Rimantienė STONE AGE tres, W= 1.5 centimetres, T= 0.7 centimetres. The basal 1974, p. 41). IN NORTHERN part features a modern break, implying that the original EUROPE: The selected artefacts were previously dated only by CHANGES IN length would have been greater. Only three lithic in- LANDSCAPE, typological comparative studies of analogous mate- serts remain, two of which are still inserted into the lat- TECHNOLOGIES rial in other regions. The dating brackets for barbed AND BELIEFS eral groove. The remaining insert has fallen out, but is points as well as slotted bone points are quite wide (for stored with the object. Like the other slotted bone point barbed points, see Ciesla, Pettitt 2003; Andersen, Pe- from Vaikantonys, this point would also have had one tersen 2009; for slotted bone points, see Knutsson et edge almost entirely flint-edged. It was found in Eksnė al. 2016), making such typological inferences exceed- peat , 2.5 metres deep, on gravel underneath the ingly imprecise. The museum labels associated with peat layer. There is a note that the slotted bone point these four analysed objects only note that they date was found together with a flint , but there are no from the seventh or sixth millennium BC. Rimantienė further details regarding this knife, and its current loca- (1996) ascribes the harpoon from Kamšai (VDKM: tion is unknown (Rimantienė 1974, p. 60). AR 1) and the two slotted bone points to Mesolithic The fourth artefact (VDKM: AR 1) is a barbed point Kunda culture. In contrast, Galiński (2013) attributes from Kamšai. This uniserial barbed point, with a miss- the harpoon from Kamšai (VDKM: AR 1) to the Fi- ing base, has nine well-distinguished convex barbs. nal Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic periods, based on The current dimensions, with a break near the basal similarities to Maglemosian harpoons from part, are L= 21.5 centimetres, W= 1.2 centimetres, T= (Clark 1954), and both of the slotted bone points to 0.8 centimetres. At the base of the point, three large Mesolithic Kunda culture. Girininkas (2009) classifies chop marks are present. It is unclear how these chop the harpoon from Kamšai as Maglemosian. It is prob- marks were caused. Clearly, they were applied with lematic in this context that several studies highlight the significant force with a wide-angled edge when the evident co-existence of different types of harpoons at bone was soft. We hypothesise that either this reflects the same time (Andersen, Petersen 2009; Savchenko ancient preparation with an -like tool, perhaps to et al. 2015). While direct cannot aid in ; or, more likely, it occurred accidentally clarify the cultural associations of these objects, it can, around the time of discovery whilst the point was wa- as an important first step in our analytical protocol, terlogged. The harpoon was found in a peat bog 1.6 me- provide firm chronological anchors. In the following tres deep, close to the River Kirsna in the Marijampolė section, we report this dating exercise and other sup- district during peat-cutting. According to the finder, the plementary archaeometric analyses (protein-based harpoon was found together with human, animal and species identification and use-wear) to shed additional fish bones, an antler axe, and other flint tools. Sadly, light on these orphaned osseous objects. only the harpoon and the antler axe ever made it to the museum, and there is no additional information regard- 55 Methods and results tion (cf. Brown et al. 1988; Jørkov et al. 2007; Longin

1971; the authors can provide detailed method descrip- In order to specify the chronology, as well as to gain tions on request). more detailed knowledge of bone point technology in The dates fall clearly into two sets, but all fall within the eastern Baltic, a series of analyses were carried out, the Boreal period, and imply Early to Middle Mesolith- including AMS dating, protein-based species identifi- ic affiliations (Table 1 and Fig. 3). The barbed points cation, and technological and use-wear analysis. are older than the slotted bone points. The oldest date is from the Kamšai (VDKM: AR 1) barbed point, al-

Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds AMS radiocarbon dating though it still postdates the Starr Carr material by a few hundred years, despite evident similarities. Unexpect- In contrast with older radiocarbon dating methods (be- edly young dates were obtained for the barbed point ta-counting), where approximately five grams of pure fragment from the River Šventoji (VDKM: AR 2437), carbon was required for a single date, accelerator mass LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al. which, based on typology, was expected to fall into the spectrometry (AMS) dating requires very little organic transitional period between the Late Pleistocene and material, and hence allows the sampling of even deli- Early Holocene. cate osseous tools without significant damage. AMS dating requires 100 to 800 miligrams of bone, depend- The similarities between the slotted bone points in date ing on the preservation, or only three to 20 miligrams and form are notable. But further studies are needed of charcoal. Furthermore, sampling techniques are to determine if there is any chronological and/or spa- constantly being refined. Currently, several methods tial patterning in this slotted bone technology. Overall, are available, such as cutting a small piece or drill- the dates agree with the typological and radiocarbon ing small holes in the surface. The second technique dating of slotted bone points elsewhere in the region is often the one chosen, as it allows sampling without (Knutsson et al. 2016). obscuring the object’s dimensions or overall form, and These newly obtained dates have significantly tight- can be applied to any part of the object. ened up the dating of the four osseous objects. To date, In the case of the two barbed points, however, small only a few osseous tools in northern Europe, let alone slices were cut. A sample of 646.4 miligrams was taken Lithuania, have been directly dated, and, evidently, from VDKM: AR 1, and 269.9 miligrams was taken typological dating approaches fall short of providing from a fragment of VDKM: AR 2437. To date the slot- suitable accurate or precise chronological handles. ted bone points (VDKM: AR 6; VDKM: AR7), the tar (organic glue) attached to the objects was sampled Protein analysis and tandem in order to minimise the impact on the osseous tools mass spectrometry-based identification themselves. Both slotted bone points held sufficient of animal species amounts of well-preserved tar, of which approximately three miligrams was extracted from each. On closer Osseous tools are often heavily worked, leading to a inspection, some of the artefacts showed signs of pos- loss of distinctive morphological characteristics that sible unrecorded conservation treatment. All bone and may assist in determining the species from which the tar samples were therefore cleaned with different or- object’s raw material derives. Therefore, in order to ganic solvents and ultrasound prior to the application identify the type of animal that the two harpoons were of standard pre-treatment procedures. The tar samples made from, a novel protein-based species identifica- were pre-treated with a standard ABA method (acid- tion method was applied. The two slotted bone points base-acid). Collagen was extracted from the bones were not analysed using this method, as no bone sam- using a modified Longin procedure with ultrafiltra- ples had been taken.

Table 1. Results of AMS dating

AAR Museum no. 14C age δ13C (‰ VPDB) δ15N (‰ AIR) C/N ratio

25551 VDKM : AR 1 8972±46 -22,21±0,11 4,74±0,56 3,38±0,01

25552 VDKM : AR 2437 8874±38 -23,11±0,11 4,06±0,56 3,36±0,01

25553 VDKM : AR 7 8328±49 -28,00±1,00 (AMS) N/A N/A

25554 VDKM : AR 6 8345±43 -29,00±1,00 (AMS) N/A N/A 56 BALTICA 25 BALTICA ARCHAEOLOGIA Fig. 3. Calibrated 14C results of the four Lithuanian bone points using OxCal v 4.2 (Bronk Ramsey 2009) and the IntCal13 calibration curve (Reimer et al. 2013).

After death, enzymes degrade the DNA and most pro- however, the same data set also covered 19% of the cow teins, and the sequence information necessary for spe- sequence. In this case, a peptide reading AGEVGPP- cies identification is lost. However, a family of proteins GPPGPAGEK representing sheep collagen was found. called collagens are resistant to enzymatic degradation. The corresponding peptide in cow (PGEVGPPGPPG- I In addition, they are the most abundant proteins in ani- PAGEK) was not detected. Therefore, based on these STONE AGE mals, accounting for around 30% of the total protein data, it would normally be concluded that the speci- IN NORTHERN EUROPE: content. These proteins are found in connective tissues, men is from a sheep. This interpretation is based on the CHANGES IN LANDSCAPE, like the skin, tendons and ligaments, but also in hair, assumption that the sample is homogeneous and only TECHNOLOGIES teeth and bones. Because of this resistance to degrada- contains collagen from a single species. AND BELIEFS tion, it is sometimes possible to extract collagen from Since these artefacts may have been treated with a archaeological material of biological origin. In archae- bone-based glue applied to the surface during pres- ology, mainly collagen type 1 is of interest, because it is ervation, it is likely that the sample is contaminated the predominant collagen found in bone. The extracted with unrelated collagen. A strong argument for the collagen can be analysed by tandem mass spectrom- possibility of contamination is the fact that the earliest etry, a method that can sequence minute amounts of evidence for sheep (Ovis aries) in the eastern Baltic collagen. By comparing the obtained sequence with all (Daugnora, Girininkas 2004) as well as in the western known protein sequences through a database search, it Baltic (Sørensen 2014) postdates our samples by sev- is possible to identify even the animal species of tiny eral millennia. bone fragments or bone and antler artefacts that are not identifiable by traditional methods. As this method re- To circumvent the contamination issue, material col- quires only a nano-gram (10-9 gram) of material, it is lected from inside the bone (collagen extracted from minimally destructive. a piece of bone after physically cleaning the surface) was also analysed. The quality of the sample in the Because the methods are very sensitive, it is important second analysis was much higher, and provided a sig- that the samples are collected carefully, using tools, nificantly higher sequence coverage. However, both surfaces and collection tubes that have not been used cow and sheep still matched the data set (Fig. 4). In the for sampling other bones. The method is also not use- second analysis, the collagen sequences were covered ful for distinguishing individuals of the same species, with 48% for cow and 45% for sheep. Each species was as the collagen sequences will be identical. Similarly, identified by a unique peptide; however, the amount closely related species can only be distinguished if the and quality of the cow identifying peptide were high- collagen sequences are different. er. These data indicate that the sample is bovine, and The first protein analyses of the barbed points from was possibly conserved with sheep-based bone glue. Kamšai (VDKM: AR 1) and the River Šventoji In conclusion, the origin of the harpoon is a cloven- (VDKM: AR 2437) were based on sawdust collected hoofed, ruminant mammal, and it is most likely a cow during sampling for radiocarbon dating and stable or cow-related species, including the aurochs. Given isotope analysis. Somewhat surprisingly, the analysis the lack of domesticated cows, as well as any known revealed the presence of sheep collagen type 1. The wild sheep population in Lithuania during the first half analysis covered 22% of the sheep collagen sequence; of the Mesolithic, the interpretation of the harpoon be- 57

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GPRGPAGPPGRDGIPGQPGLPGPPGPPGPPGPPGLGGNFAPQLSYGYDEKS 171 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP PPQGPAGPPGRDGIPGQPGLPGPPGPPGPPGPPGLGGNFAPQLSYGYDEKS 179 *:************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN TGISVPGPMGPSGPRGLPGPPGAPGPQGFQGPPGEPGEPGASGPMGPRGPPGPPGKNGDD 231 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP TGISVPGPMGPSGPRGLPGPPGAPGPQGFQGPPGEPGEPGASGPMGPRGPPGPPGKNGDD 239 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GEAGKPGRPGERGPPGPQGARGLPGTAGLPGMKGHRGFSGLDGAKGDAGPAGPKGEPGSP 291 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GEAGKPGRPGERGPPGPQGARGLPGTAGLPGMKGHRGFSGLDGAKGDAGPAGPKGEPGSP 299 ************************************************************ Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GENGAPGQMGPRGLPGERGRPGAPGPAGARGNDGATGAAGPPGPTGPAGPPGFPGAVGAK 351 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GENGAPGQMGPRGLPGERGRPGAPGPAGARGNDGATGAAGPPGPTGPAGPPGFPGAVGAK 359 ************************************************************ LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al. SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GEGGPQGPRGSEGPQGVRGEPGPPGPAGAAGPAGNPGADGQPGAKGANGAPGIAGAPGFP 411 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GEAGPQGPRGSEGPQGVRGEPGPPGPAGAAGPAGNPGADGQPGAKGANGAPGIAGAPGFP 419 **.*********************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GARGPSGPQGPSGPPGPKGNSGEPGAPGSKGDTGAKGEPGPTGIQGPPGPAGEEGKRGAR 471 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GARGPSGPQGPSGPPGPKGNSGEPGAPGSKGDTGAKGEPGPTGIQGPPGPAGEEGKRGAR 479 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GEPGPAGLPGPPGERGGPGSRGFPGADGVAGPKGPAGERGAPGPAGPKGSPGEAGRPGEA 531 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GEPGPAGLPGPPGERGGPGSRGFPGSDGVAGPKGPAGERGAPGPAGPKGSPGEAGRPGEA 539 *************************:**********************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GLPGAKGLTGSPGSPGPDGKTGPPGPAGQDGRPGPPGPPGARGQAGVMGFPGPKGAAGEP 591 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GLPGAKGLTGSPGSPGPDGKTGPPGPAGQDGRPGPPGPPGARGQAGVMGFPGPKGAAGEP 599 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GKAGERGVPGPPGAVGPAGKDGEAGAQGPPGPAGPAGERGEQGPAGSPGFQGLPGPAGPP 651 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GKAGERGVPGPPGAVGPAGKDGEAGAQGPPGPAGPAGERGEQGPAGSPGFQGLPGPAGPP 659 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GEAGKPGEQGVPGDLGAPGPSGARGERGFPGERGVQGPPGPAGPRGANGAPGNDGAKGDA 711 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GEAGKPGEQGVPGDLGAPGPSGARGERGFPGERGVQGPPGPAGPRGANGAPGNDGAKGDA 719 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GAPGAPGSQGAPGLQGMPGERGAAGLPGPKGDRGDAGPKGADGAPGKDGVRGLTGPIGPP 771 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GAPGAPGSQGAPGLQGMPGERGAAGLPGPKGDRGDAGPKGADGAPGKDGVRGLTGPIGPP 779 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GPAGAPGDKGEAGPSGPAGPTGARGAPGDRGEPGPPGPAGFAGPPGADGQPGAKGEPGDA 831 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GPAGAPGDKGETGPSGPAGPTGARGAPGDRGEPGPPGPAGFAGPPGADGQPGAKGEPGDA 839 ***********:************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GAKGDAGPPGPAGPAGPPGPIGNVGAPGPKGARGSAGPPGATGFPGAAGRVGPPGPSGNA 891 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GAKGDAGPPGPAGPAGPPGPIGNVGAPGPKGARGSAGPPGATGFPGAAGRVGPPGPSGNA 899 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GPPGPPGPAGKEGSKGPRGETGPAGRPGEVGPPGPPGPAGEKGAPGADGPAGAPGTPGPQ 951 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GPPGPPGPAGKEGSKGPRGETGPAGRAGEVGPPGPPGPAGEKGAPGADGPAGAPGTPGPQ 959 ************************** *********************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GIAGQRGVVGLPGQRGERGFPGLPGPSGEPGKQGPSGASGERGPPGPMGPPGLAGPPGES 1011 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GIAGQRGVVGLPGQRGERGFPGLPGPSGEPGKQGPSGASGERGPPGPMGPPGLAGPPGES 1019 ************************************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GREGAPGAEGSPGRDGSPGAKGDRGETGPAGPPGAPGAPGAPGPVGPAGKSGDRGETGPA 1071 TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GREGAPGAEGSPGRDGAPGAKGDRGETGPAGPPGAPGAPGAPGPVGPAGKSGDRGETGPA 1079 ****************:*******************************************

SP|P02453|CO1A1_BOVIN GPAGPIGPVGARGPAGPQGPRGDKGETGEQGDRGIKGHRGFSGLQGPPGPP TR|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP GPAGPIGPVGARGPAGPQGPRGDKGETGEQGDRGIKGHRGFSGLQGPPGPP ***************************************************

Fig. 4. Sequence alignment of cow and sheep collagen alpha1-(I). Identical residues are indicated with (*) below the sequences. Cow and sheep unique peptides identified by mass spectrometry are highlighted in bold red. 58 BALTICA 25 BALTICA ARCHAEOLOGIA

Fig. 5. Stacked photographs using the extended depth of field on a dinolite microscope of polishing on barbs on a harpoon from the River Šventoji (VDKM: AR 2437) (A at 40x), and manufacture tool marks on the same harpoon (B at 20x). I ing produced from aurochs is most likely. This result ferent tools, including burins, blades and occasionally corresponds neatly with observations from the western scrapers to shape the pre-forms. STONE AGE IN NORTHERN Baltic, where aurochs were one of the five main spe- Next, barbs were cut into the barbed points. These EUROPE: cies used for production (David 2009; Leduc CHANGES IN barbs were cut into the harpoon by engraving inter- LANDSCAPE, 2012). TECHNOLOGIES secting diagonal lines into both sides of the bone using AND BELIEFS a . The barbs on the large point from the River Technological analysis using Šventoji (VDKM: AR 2437) were further shaped, and optical microscopy the inside edge was even polished and rounded, most likely in order to make it less susceptible to fracture, As part of the analysis, all four bone points were ana- and to make the harpoon more aerodynamic and hy- lysed by optical microscopy using a portable digital drodynamic (Fig. 5). The barbs that were cut into the microscope (dino-lite AM4815ZTLx with 20-140x barbed point from Kamšai (VDKM: AR 1) were in- magnification). By examining osseous tools for differ- cised using a similar technique, but they do not appear ent tool marks that may be difficult or impossible to to have been polished. see macroscopically using an optical microscope, it is possible to better understand their manufacturing pro- Turning to the slotted bone points, it is evident that cess (cf. Gramsch 1990). By better understanding the once the overall form of the slotted bone points was manufacturing process, it might be possible to under- finished, a groove was cut along one side using a burin. stand the object, the site, the regional or chronological This groove extended across the central portion of the differences in this tool class, its attendant technology, point only. They were then further worked and shaped to remove any sharp edges from the groove. and craft organisation (David 2003; 2006; 2009). The use of a microscope with an inbuilt camera, such as Next, a viscous black pitch-like material (that visually affordable and portable USB microscopes, or a micro- appears to be similar to birch bark tar) was placed in scope with a camera attachment, facilitates high levels the slot, and then the flint inserts were placed in this of photographic recording of these features. pitch. It is possible to determine that this pitch was Based on a visual inspection of the four bone points, very viscous, possibly still warm, when the inserts the following manufacturing processes could be iden- were emplaced, as the pitch filled small gaps between tified: all of the bone points were produced from long the inserts, and in some places flowed outside the slot. sections of tubular long bones that had been split. Giv- A similar black pitch-like material is present on the en the length and regularity of the bone points, it is base of the point from Vaikantonys (VDKM: AR 6), likely that the groove-and-splinter technique was used suggesting that this may have been used to secure the for at least the two slotted bone points and the fine- point’s hafting arrangement (Fig. 6). toothed barbed point from Kamšiai (VDKM: AR 1). These pre-forms were then further worked using dif- 59

Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al.

Fig. 6. Photographs using a dinolite microscope of the black pitch used to attach inserts (A at 100x), and on the base of the slotted point from Vaikantonys (VDKM: AR 6) (B at 100x).

Use-wear analysis were also analysed for use-wear traces, such as pol- ishes, striations, edge rounding and edge damage. It is also possible using an optical microscope (as well Unfortunately, the objects could not be washed due as scanning electron microscope) to identify any micro- to museum policy, making it impossible to positively scopic and macroscopic traces of use, such as polishes, identify any use-related polish or striations. In addi- striations and edge rounding (Jensen 1988; 2000). By tion, a large amount of glue-like material was present comparing these observed archaeology use-wear traces on the flint inserts, probably from the conservation of to similar traces formed during experimental research, the bone, which further obscured potential micro-wear. it can be possible to determine how a tool was used, However, some of the flint inserts on both slotted bone and what material it was used on, thus adding a vital points did have slight edge rounding, which suggests part to our understanding of the biography of individu- repeated use of the slotted bone points (Fig. 8). This al tools. Often, tool use is inferred on morphology and finding is further supported by the presence of exten- casual comparisons with ethnographic or recent tools sive edge damage on many of the inserts, further sug- only (cf. Gebauer 1987). Use-wear can here provide gesting that these two points had seen regular use. important confirmation of such assessments, or instead provide direct clues to object uses that differ from those observed ethnographically or historically. Other possible methods

A full use-wear analysis of the four points addressed In the previous section, all the methods that were ap- here was not attempted. However, during the micro- plied to the four osseous points from Lithuania are scopic analysis aimed at elucidating the manufacturing described in detail and their results presented. These process, it was noted that the tip of the large barbed methods are straightforward, follow mostly quite well- point from the River Šventoji was slightly fractured established analytical protocols, and are applied in a (Fig. 7). The break may have originated when the har- straightforward and cost-effective way. But there are poon hit a hard material like stone or bone, causing a number of other scientific methods, including zoo- the tip to chip off. Interestingly, the edges of this break archaeology by mass spectrometry, aDNA and stable are slightly rounded, suggesting that the harpoon may isotope analysis, investigation on artefact taphonomy, have been used a number of times after the tip broke. recording methods, and morphometric analyses, which At a later stage, the harpoon broke again, resulting in can also be applied to better understand the life his- a large oblique fracture that is a typical impact frac- tories of osseous tools. Thus, the following section ture seen on many bone and antler points. This large will shortly summarise other emerging and established oblique fracture probably led to this tip of the harpoon methods, and highlight how they can be integrated into being lost, either at the bottom of the river or inside dynamic research designs related specifically to past whatever animal was being hunted. bone and antler objects. In addition to the limited use-wear analysis of the har- poon, the flint inserts of the two slotted bone points 60 BALTICA 25 BALTICA ARCHAEOLOGIA

Fig. 7. Photographs at 60x of the broken tip of the harpoon from the River Šventoji (VDKM: AR 2437) (A), and of the oblique fracture on the same harpoon (B) (photograph by Iga Kuriata, Moesgaard Museum).

I

STONE AGE IN NORTHERN EUROPE: CHANGES IN LANDSCAPE, TECHNOLOGIES AND BELIEFS

Fig. 8. Photographs at 100x of edge damage and rounding on flint inserts in the slotted bone points from Obšrūtai (VDKM: AR7) (A), and glue-like material on flint inserts from the same slotted bone point at 100x (B).

Biomolecular analysis very similar, only genus-level identification can be achieved. For instance, red deer, fallow deer and elk ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) is rap- cannot be differentiated (Ashby et al. 2015). - Impor idly developing a protein-based biomolecular method, tantly, this method does allow for discrimination be- which analyses peptide fragments in the protein col- tween sheep and goat, which can be very difficult with lagen (e.g., Welker et al. 2015; Charlton et al. 2016). It standard zooarchaeological methods. is based on the fact that every animal family group has A key advantage of this technique is the very small a unique presence and combination of certain masses, sample size. Only five to ten miligrams of bone is nec- and these differences in mass can be used for taxo- essary, thus making it possible to sample and analyse nomic identification when comparing a sample and the even the most delicate osseous tools without signifi- reference collection. Thus, a rich reference collection cant damage. Furthermore, ZooMS allows for the rapid is important for ZooMS. analysis of a large number of samples at relatively low This method allows species identification based on cost: hundreds of samples can be processed in a day at very small fragments of bone or antler, and in the total a cost of <15€ per sample (van Doorn 2014). Further- absence of any diagnostic morphological features, as more, under favourable post-depositional conditions, is often the case on highly worked osseous tools. In collagen can survive thousands of years, and peptide some cases, however, where collagen sequences are 61 mass fingerprinting can be applied to archaeological research questions: it has most often hitherto been used

material from various periods (Buckley, Collins 2011). to explore diet and the mobility of prehistoric humans and animals based on the specific affordances of dif- ferent isotopes (Table 2) (Drucker et al. 2011; Slovak ADNA 2011; Clementz et al. 2012; Makarewicz, Sealy 2015). While aDNA can be used for taxonomic identification, Fundamentally, it is also necessary to analyse the car- it has rarely been used for this purpose, as it is signifi- bon isotope ratios in bone samples in order to deter- cantly more expensive than protein analysis. Ancient mine if the radiocarbon dates need to be compensated for marine effects. The marine reservoir ef-

Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds DNA sequences are also significantly more susceptible 14 to degradation. When well-preserved aDNA sequenc- fect is caused by a difference in the content of C in es are retrieved, however, they are powerful tools for the ocean compared to the atmosphere. This differ- identifying a wide variety of characteristics, such as ence results in an age offset between marine samples and individuals who have consumed large amounts LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ

et al. species, sex, kinship and ancient disease load, and individual-level traits (hair colour, eye colour, etc), as of marine food, thus making marine samples appear well as addressing evolutionary questions (Malmström older than they actually are (Heinemeier et al. 1993). 2007; Der Sarkissian 2011; Nikulina, Meadows 2013). Disturbingly, the same may be true of some fresh- In contrast to analyses focused on proteins, aDNA water sources (Philippsen 2013). The carbon isotope 14 analysis is at present both considerably more expen- ratios are therefore routinely analysed as part of C sive and slower, but swift developments in laboratory dating of bone material, and may potentially provide techniques and sequencing technology might soon al- additional information about dietary composition by low a more routine application of these techniques. enabling discrimination between terrestrial, freshwater and marine food intake. An awareness of the necessity to potentially correct for marine and freshwater res- Isotope analysis ervoir effects is particularly important for Mesolithic researchers, given the importance of marine and fresh- Stable isotope analysis is a rapidly developing tech- water resources in this period. nique that can be used for a wide variety of different

Table 2. List of the most often used stable isotopes for analysing osseous material. 1(Makarewicz and Sealy 2015), 2(Reynard and Hedges 2008), 3(van der Sluis et al. 2016), 4(Bartelink et al. 2014), 5(Clementz et al. 2012), 6(Leyden et al. 2006), 7(Mannino et al. 2015), 8(Eerkens et al. 2011), 9(Drucker et al. 2011), 10(Pellegrini et al. 2016), 11(Slovak 2011), 12(Nehlich 2015), 13(Jaouen and Pons 2016)

Element Isotopes Obtained from What can we learn from them? Hydrogen 1H 2H(=D) Bone collagen Diet (e.g. trophic level)1-3, climate (e.g. relative

temperature)1,2,4-6 and mobility (e.g. isotopic composition of 1,4-6 meteoric waters) Carbon Bone collagen, dentinal Diet (i.e. ecosystem of origin mainly of dietary protein)1,4,7,8 12 13 14 C C C 1,5,9 collagen and environments (especially in the case of herbivores) Nitrogen Bone collagen Diet (i.e. trophic level of origin of dietary protein)1,4,7,8 and 14 15 N N 1,5,9 environments (especially in the case of herbivores) Oxygen Bone Climate (i.e. isotopic composition of rainfall)1,5,9 and 16O 17O 18O dental enamel mobility (e.g. isotopic composition of meteoric waters of the (phosphate) locality of origin)1,4,10 Strontium 88Sr 86Sr 84Sr 87Sr Bone Mobility (e.g. origin of the individual)11 dental enamel Sulphur Diet (i.e. ecosystem of origin of dietary protein)3,7,9,12, 32S 33S 34S 36S Bone collagen environments9,12, and mobility (e.g. coastal versus inland)9,12

Zinc 64Zn 66Zn 67Zn Dental enamel, bone Diet (e.g. trophic level)13 68Zn 70Zn apatite 62 The application of isotope analysis of specifically os- potential to make a positive contribution to the study seous tools is just in its infancy. However, it can po- of osseous tools. Methods can be broadly divided into tentially reveal exciting insights into the possible two categories: photogrammetry and laser scanning. movement of objects and raw material, and thus offer Within each family, there is a variety of sub-methods. possible insights into past culture contact and/or mi- Therefore, the methods discussed here are by no means gration. exhaustive.

Of the many methods that comprise the photogram- 25 BALTICA Taphonomy metric family, techniques such as Reflectance Trans- formation Imaging (RTI) and Structure from Motion In the analysis of osseous tools, new information can (SfM) are the front runners. RTI, as the name suggests, be added by considering their taphonomic history measures the reflectance of an object in relation to a (Hedges 2002). Taphonomy encompasses the time gap moving light source. A stationary camera takes a se- between the death of the animal that provided the raw

ries of photographs of an object, as the light source ARCHAEOLOGIA material for the tool and the eventual retrieval of the is moved slightly between each shot. This provides a artefact. Zooarchaeologists mostly consider the tapho- digital representation, based on how light behaves as nomic history of sites rich in faunal remains (Lyman it hits an object. This method allows us to re-light an 1994). New studies (Gummesson et al. 2017) indicate object from any direction, to enhance and capture dif- a strong correlation between bone artefact surface ferent surface details, including manufacturing traces, characteristics and artefact age, animal species, and the ornamentation, use-wear, surface damage, and colour I level of bone modification, opening up the possibility (Fig. 8). Additionally, high and low pass filters are ap- of qualifying taphonomy vis-à-vis single finds as well. plied to each pixel in each digital photograph, in or- STONE AGE IN NORTHERN Bone surface characteristics, including traces of weath- der to enhance the differences and allow the user to EUROPE: modify the apparent surface properties (Malzbender et CHANGES IN ering, abrasion and heating, can provide important in- LANDSCAPE, formation. Weathering of the bone surface might give al. 2004; Jones 2017). TECHNOLOGIES AND BELIEFS information about how long an artefact has been ex- The SfM method has increasingly been used in archae- posed on the surface, about soil matrix characteristics, ology to create accurate photo-textured 3D models of and about the duration of deposition. The colour and objects, features and entire sites. Here, a sequence of degree of artefact degradation are important in deter- overlapping photographs are taken and automatically mining the depositional environment, in waterlogged, compared, to identify common feature points in order desiccated or acidic soils, with important implications to create a 3D point cloud, which can be used to cre- for the likelihood of successful downstream biomo- ate a photo-textured 3D mesh and model. This may be lecular analyses. Another important factor is bone interactively explored and re-used in any 3D software. surface abrasion, which can be caused by animal or Another common use of SfM in archaeology is the cre- human trampling, eolian or fluvial processes, or other ation of geometrically true orthophotos: an illustration factors (Lyman 1994). These processes might mimic with the optically induced perspective deviations cre- anthropogenic abrasion, and hence are important to ac- ated by parallax removed from the image. This may, to count for. In addition to looking for macro and micro- some extent, either replace or provide the backdrop for scopic traces of heating, it may be possible to obtain traditional 2D line drawings or standard photographs. further insights into the manufacture and use of the However, SfM is challenged by very homogeneous or investigated objects (Roberts et al. 2002; Koon et al. reflective/transparent surfaces, as it is based on match- 2003; Nicholson 1993). For example, were the bones ing identical pixels in each photograph. It is therefore fresh when they were worked, or had they been boiled, important that lighting and shadows do not change roasted, etc, prior to manufacturing? In principle, only notably between the images. Furthermore, it is often once these taphonomic changes are accounted for can difficult to control the depth of field when photograph- we engage in substantial cultural interpretations of or- ing smaller objects or on a macro scale. The results of phaned osseous objects (cf. Hedges 2002). both RTI and SfM rely on lens and photograph quality, Digital recording methods but both are cost-effective ways of creating digital rep- resentations of objects for surface analysis and inter- Recent advances in digital recording are increasingly active geometry exploration. Basically, only a digital being applied in archaeology (Dodd 2014; Meijer camera and software is needed, and both commercial 2015; Jensen 2017), including the study of artefacts and free/open source options are available (Agisoft (Mudge et al. 2005; Malzbender et al. 2001; Jones PhotoScan/VisualSFM). et al. 2015; Jones 2017). There is little doubt that the application of digital recording methods also has the 63

Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al.

Fig. 9. An example of a comparison between high resolution standard photography (A) (Rógvi Johansen, Moesgaard Museum) and RTI imagery (B) (Unit of Archaeological IT, Aarhus University) of a bone figurine dated to 1034-1204 AD found as a stray find from Museum Skanderborg, Denmark (Ahlqvist & Bjørnevad 2017). In RTI images, it is significantly easier to identify different tool marks that are not as visible in either a standard photograph or with the naked eye (reproduced with permission from Museum Skanderborg).

Perhaps the most promising opportunities at present sis. Thus, the dissemination potential is substantial, are offered by laser scanning. Although the costs of and several online 3D-viewers are already available for owning a scanner, computer and associated software embedding 3D models into webpages. Interactive RTI- are high, it is possible to hire companies to undertake viewers are also available, most recently seen applied smaller jobs. The accuracy of a laser scanner can be to the Mesolithic pendant from Starr Carr (Milner et higher than with optical photographic methods, up to al. 2016). The applications within archaeology are cur- 0.2 milimetres at the point where the scan is initialised; rently at an early stage, while the analytical potential is however, the accuracy can vary significantly, depend- likely to be lurking in the very near future. However, ing on the model of laser scanner used. Scanning small the 3D models created from SfM or laser scanning are objects takes seconds. The advantages of hand-held la- increasingly being used in 3D morphometric analy- ser scanning over photogrammetry can be summarised sis, as described above. In addition, RTI can be used as higher accuracy, faster data acquisition (as little as a to identify surface modifications, such as engravings, few seconds), and ease of use. manufacturing traces or traces from use that may not be visible to the naked eye or in standard photographs, The outcome of both these technologies is a highly vis- which can have significant analytical potential (New- ual end-product, which encourages an interactive and man 2015). Researchers are looking closely at tech- explorative approach, rather than a quantitative analy- niques already in existence, and investigating if and 64 how existing methods can be applied, or whether new tive on the social biography of osseous tools, to which analyses and technologies need to be developed. these methods remain to be applied. Arguably, hand-held laser scanning and photogram- metric methods such as SfM and RTI still lack the reso- Discussion lution of optical microscopic analysis as demonstrated in this study. However, as time progresses, it is highly By applying close observation and a variety of novel likely that scanning or photogrammetry will be able and established archaeometric methods, this paper has 25 BALTICA to offer the same or even higher levels of detail than sought to outline and illustrate the currently mostly un- photo-microscopy. tapped analytical potential inherent in osseous finds, including specifically those found in older excavations Geometric morphometrics or as stray finds. Osseous tools are all too often either typologically dated or are characterised by their pre-

Geometric morphometrics, at its core, isolates and sumed function based on analogical objects. This is es- ARCHAEOLOGIA quantifies shape variance/covariance, through the col- pecially true of the many orphaned legacy objects that lection and analysis of landmark, outline or surface often lie under-utilised in museum collections. Despite data obtained through two-dimensional approaches the fact that these objects commonly afford substantial (illustrations and photographs), and three-dimensional aesthetic value and are even regularly displayed to the approaches (scans and SfM models, see above). As public, we often know next to nothing about them. Yet, these methodologies benefit any research field which as is demonstrated in this paper, a wide range of rap- I depends on comparative morphology, it is no surprise idly advancing scientific methods is available for the analysis of such objects. STONE AGE that geometric morphometrics has been implemented IN NORTHERN in a wide variety of archaeological applications. These EUROPE: Advanced archaeometric methods can provide sig- CHANGES IN include questions associated with ceramic (Wilczek et nificant new information on such legacy objects, LANDSCAPE, al. 2014), lithic (Buchanan 2006; Costa 2010; Picin et TECHNOLOGIES illustrated here by our analyses of four Mesolithic os- AND BELIEFS al. 2014; Serwatka and Riede 2016), osteological (Ku- seous tools that can now be much more securely tied bicka et al. 2016) and zooarchaeological (Cucchi et al. into ongoing research projects about the colonisation 2016) material. of Lithuania and northern Europe, and the spread of With respect to osseous tools specifically, geometric different technologies in the wider region. It is worth morphometrics has the potential to aid a variety of noting that most of the methods referred to in this pa- questions associated with their manufacture and use, per are relatively inexpensive, easy to apply, and often in terms of their shape and form. This includes a rigor- minimally destructive. Many of these methods may not ous statistical examination of whether two groups of be available to a single researcher, but by cultivating osseous tools are different, whether these differences collaborative research, especially through international correspond to a particular hypothesis or archaeologi- collaborative projects, such multi-method studies can cal model, notions of stylistic variation, and how as- rapidly become routine and yield exciting results (Oras pects of shape are related to the chronological period, et al. 2017). Table 3 provides a (by no means exhaus- region or tool function. In addition, morphometrics tive) facet of methods, their benefits and weaknesses, has been applied to cut marks on the osseous mate- which can be used as a checklist for any researcher rial to determine what type of tool was used to pro- wishing to design analytical projects involving or- duce the cut marks (e.g. Dominguez-Rodrigo 1997; phaned or excavated osseous tools or assemblages Boschin and Crezzini 2012). These questions can be in thereof. Depending on the questions to be addressed relation to single stray finds in conjunction with larger and the resources and expertise at hand, all or some of collections (for any statistical analysis to be robust), these methods may be used. allowing for a meaningful analysis of almost all osse- ous material culture. However, issues of fragmentation Conclusions and the necessity for analyses to incorporate complete or near-complete specimens may arise, depending on In a case study of four Mesolithic osseous tools from the question and shape of the data under investigation. Lithuania, we followed a suggested sequence of analy- Despite this, geometric morphometrics can have great sis, starting with non-destructive methods like high- potential in the analysis and understanding of osseous definition photography and use-wear analysis, and then tool manufacture and use, building on the aforemen- sampling for AMS dating and tandem mass spectrom- tioned techniques and providing a different perspec- etry. The analysis facilitated critical cross-checking of previous dating by typological inference, and has re- 65 Table 3. Applicable methods for osseous tool analysis,

listed with their benefits and weaknesses

Method Function + - AMS C14 dating Absolute dating Minimally destructive and Destruction relies on collagen accurate up to within a few preservation decades Tandem mass spectrometry Species ID Minimally destructive, Sample must be cheap, quick uncontaminated, needs to be Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds sent to specialist lab, not all species can be differentiated and reliant on collagen preservation LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al. ZooMS Species ID Minimally destructive, Sample must be cheap, quick uncontaminated, needs to be sent to specialist lab, not all species can be differentiated aDNA Species ID as well as Tremendous amounts of aDNA often not well numerous other traits information can be identified preserved and can be very with aDNA expensive, sample must be uncontaminated, needs to be sent to specialist lab Isotope Analysis Object/material mobility, Can be minimally Destructive, reliant on animal diet, create an isotope destructive, addresses many collagen preservation, baseline, prehistoric hunting questions that cannot be requires pre-existing isotope and craft strategies addressed any other way studies in region Optical microscopy Manufacture and use-wear Non-destructive method Special training is needed and scanning electron traces to analyse use-wear and microscope manufacture traces Geometric morphometrics Artefact shape analysis Most of the software Larger sample size is packages required for needed to make statistical analysis are open-source examination, requires complete or near-complete specimens Reflectance Transformation Digital recording method to Cost-effective method, Might lack resolution Imaging (RTI) capture surface details and accessible open-source colours software Structure From Motion A digital recording method Cost-effective method, Might be inconvenient to (SfM) for photo-textured 3D accessible open-source use on uniform or reflective/ models software transparent surfaces Laser scanning Digital recording method for High accuracy and time- High cost creating 3D models efficient Taphonomic analysis Reconstruction of Can provide with additional depositional processes information on pre- and postdeposition environment

vealed very different dates of barbed and slotted bone macro and microscopic observation, show a great re- points. Both the barbed points are younger than typo- semblance to other bone points from this period, and logical dating suggested, while the slotted bone points add further information on the spread of people and fit well into a wider regional context. Protein analysis technologies in the Boreal. The use-wear analysis re- of the two barbed points revealed the high possibil- vealed that the barbed point from the River Šventoji ity that aurochs bones were the source material. The (VDKM: AR 2437) had also been used after the tip manufacture techniques applied, as shown through flaked off, probably from hitting some hard material 66 like bone or stone, but that the object was eventually BLYTHE & R. BERRY, eds. Advances in Forensic Human lost or discarded following a large oblique fracture. Identification. CRC Press, 165-192. The presence of possible edge rounding and clus- BOSCHIN, F. & CREZZINI, J., 2012. Morphometrical anal- ysis on cut marks using a 3D digital microscope. Interna- tered edge damage on the inserts on both slotted bone tional Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 22 (5), 549-562. points from Vaikantonys (VDKM: AR 6) and Obšrūtai BRONK RAMSEY, C., 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocar- (VDKM: AR7) indicates that they had both been used bon dates. Radiocarbon,51 (1), 337-360. repeatedly and over longer periods, and that they had BROWN, T.A., NELSON, D.E., VOGEL, J.C., SOUTHON, J.R., 1988. Improved collagen extraction by improved 25 BALTICA come into contact with some relatively hard material Longin method. Radiocarbon, 30, 171-177. (e.g. bone). BUCHANAN, B., 2006. An analysis of Folsom projectile The results of our analyses confirm that orphaned and point re-sharpening using quantitative comparisons of form and allometry. Journal of Archaeological Science, context-poor stray osseous finds can be informative 33, 185-199. on their own, especially when they come from regions BUCKLEY, M. & COLLINS, M.J., 2011. Collagen Survival and Its Use for Species Identification in Holocene-Lower where such finds are rare, or where they have only ARCHAEOLOGIA rarely been analysed. A well-conducted analysis of Pleistocene Bone Fragments from British Archaeological single finds can be correlated to existing studies, and and Paleontological Sites. Antiqua 1 (1). Available from: http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/antiqua/ar- thereby reveal similarity or difference within a broader ticle/view/antiqua.2011.e1. [Accessed 1 June 2012]. context. For chronological studies, it is paramount to CHARLTON, S., ALEXANDER, M., COLLINS, M., MIL- add further dots on our maps, and to provide as many NER, N., MELLARS, P., O’CONNELL, T.C., STEVENS, R.E. & CRAIG, O.E., 2016. Finding Britain’s last hunter- radiocarbon dates as possible, in order to aggregate I them into statistically sound samples at regional and gatherers: A new biomolecular approach to ‘unidentifiable’ bone fragments utilising bone collagen. Journal of Archae- supra-regional levels. We realise, of course, that all ar- STONE AGE ological Science, 73, 55-61. IN NORTHERN chaeological research operates under the ever-present CLARK, J.G.D., 1954. Excavations at Star Carr. An Early EUROPE: constraints of time and money, but we highlight in this Mesolithic site at Seamer near Scarborough, Yorkshire. CHANGES IN LANDSCAPE, paper a battery of established and emerging observa- Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. TECHNOLOGIES tional and archaeometric techniques that are rapid and CLEMENTZ, M.T., 2012. New insight from old bones: sta- AND BELIEFS ble isotope analysis of fossil mammals. Journal of Mam- cost-effective in their application, and hence optimise malogy, 93, 368-380. the cost-benefit ratio of time/money spent in relation COSTA, A.G., 2010. A Geometric Morphometric Assess- to knowledge gained. More widespread and systematic ment of Plan Shape in Bone and Stone Bifaces applications of such methods to orphaned osseous (and from the Middle Pleistocene Site of Castel di Guido, La- tium, Italy. In: S.J. LYCETT & P.R. CHAUHAN (ed.). other) finds would lead to a significant activation of New Perspectives on Old Stones: Analytical Approaches this otherwise sorely overlooked find category in a sci- to Technologies. London: Springer, 23-41. entific and outreach context. CUCCHI, T., DAI, L., BALASSE, M., ZHAO, C., GAO, J., HU, Y., YUAN, J. & VIGNE, J-D., 2016. Social Complexi- fication and Pig (Sus scrofa) Husbandry in Ancient China: Acknowledgements A Combined Geometric Morphometric and Isotopic Ap- proach. PLOS ONE, 11 (8). 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Pisa, Italy, 2005. Goslar, Germany: Eurographics Associa- metric analysis casts doubt on the validity of large tanged 25 BALTICA tion, 195-202. points as cultural markers in the European Final Palaeoli- NEHLICH, O., 2015. The application of sulphur isotope thic. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 9, 150- analyses in archaeological research: a review. Earth- 59. Science Reviews, 142, 1-17. SLOVAK, N.M. & PAYTAN, A., 2011. Applications of Sr NEWMAN, S.E., 2015. Applications of Reflectance Trans- Isotopes in Archaeology. In: M., BASKARAN, ed. Hand- formation Imaging (RTI) to the study of bone surface mod- book of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry. Advances in ifications. Journal of Archaeological Science, 53, 536-549. Isotope Geochemistry. Berlin: Springer, 743-768. ARCHAEOLOGIA NICHOLSON, R.A., 1993. A morphological investigation of SØRENSEN, L., 2014. From hunter to farmer in Northern burnt animal bone and an evaluation of its utility in archae- Europe: Migration and adaptation during the Neolithic and ology. Journal of Archaeological Science, 20 (4), 411-428. Bronze age, volume I. In: K., RANDSBORG, ed. Acta Ar- NIKULINA, E.A. & MEADOWS, J., 2013. Ancient DNA chaeologica, 85 (1). Oxford: Wiley. and stable isotope analysis – Two innovative scientific VAN DER SLUIS, L.G., HOLLUND, H.I., KARS, H., methods in the archaeology of hunting. In: O. GRIMM & SANDVIK, P.U., DENHAM, S.D., 2016. A palaeodietary U. SCHMÖLCKE, eds. Hunting in Northern Europe until investigation of a multi-period churchyard in Stavanger, 1500 AD. Old traditions and regional developments, con- Norway, using stable isotope analysis (C, N, H, S) on bone I tinental sources and continental influences. Neumünster: collagen. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 9, STONE AGE Wachholtz, 597-604. 120-133. IN NORTHERN ORAS, E., HIGHAM, T.F.G., CRAMP, L.J.E., BULL, I.D., VAN DOORN, N. L., 2014. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spec- EUROPE: 2017. Archaeological science and object biography: a Ro- trometry (ZooMS). In: C., SMITH, ed. Encyclopaedia of CHANGES IN LANDSCAPE, man bronze lamp from Kavastu bog (). Antiquity, Global Archaeology. New York: Springer, 7998–8000. TECHNOLOGIES 91 (355), 124-138. VOSS, B.L., 2012. Curation as research. A case study AND BELIEFS PELLEGRINI, M., POUNCETT, J., JAY, M., PARKER in orphaned and underreported archaeological collec- PEARSON, M., RICHARDS, M.P., 2016. Tooth enamel tions. Archaeological Dialogues, 19 (2), 145-169. oxygen «isoscapes » show a high degree of mobility in WELKER, F., SORESSI, M., RENDU, W., HUBLIN, J.-J., prehistoric Britain. Scientific Reports, 6. Available from: COLLINS, M., 2015. Using ZooMS to identify fragmen- https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34986. [Accessed 07 tary bone from the Late Middle/Early Upper Palaeolithic October 2016]. sequence of Les Cottés, France. Journal of Archaeological PHILIPPSEN, B., 2013. The freshwater reservoir effect in Science, 54, 279-86. radiocarbon dating. Heritage Science, 1 (24). WILCZEK, J., MONNA, F., BARRAL, P., BURLET, L., PICIN, A., VAQUERO, M., WENIGER, G-C., CAR- CHATEAU, C., NAVARRO, N., 2014. Morphometrics of BONELL, E., 2014. Flake morphologies and patterns of Second Iron Age ceramics - strengths, weaknesses, and core configuration at the Abric Romaní rock-shelter: a geo- comparison with traditional typology. Journal of Archaeo- metric morphometric approach. Quaternary International, logical Science, 50, 39-50. 350, 84-93. REIMER, P.J., BARD, E., BAYLISS, A., BECK, J.W., Livija Ivanovaitė BLACKWELL, P.G., BRONK RAMSEY, C., GROOTES, Christian Hoggard, P.M., GUILDERSON, T.P., HAFLIDASON, H., HA- Mathias Bjørnevad, JDAS, I., HATTÉ, C., HEATON, T.J., HOFFMANN, Peter Jensen, D. L., HOGG, A.G., HUGHEN, K. A., KAISER, K. F., Rikke Maring, KROMER, B., MANNING, S. W., NIU, M., REIMER, R. James Dodd, W., RICHARDS, D. A., SCOTT, E. M., SOUTHON, J. R., Felix Riede STAFF, R. A., TURNEY, C. S. M., VAN DER PLICHT, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies J., 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibra- Aarhus University tion curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon, 55 (4), Moesgård Allé 20 1869-1887. 8270 Højbjerg REYNARD, L.M. & HEDGES, R.E.M., 2008. Stable hy- Denmark drogen isotopes of bone collagen in palaeodietary and [email protected] palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Journal of Archaeo- logical Science, 35, 1934-1942. Bente Philippsen RIMANTIENĖ, R., 1974. Akmens amžiaus paminklai. Aarhus AMS Centre Lietuvos TSR archeologijos atlasas. Akmens ir žalvario Department of Physics and Astronomy amžiaus paminklai 1. Vilnius, 5-83. Aarhus University RIMANTIENĖ, R., 1996. Akmens amžius Lietuvoje. Vilnius: Ny Munkegade 120, building 1522 Žiburio leidykla. 8000 Aarhus C ROBERTS, S.J., SMITH, C.I., MILLARD, A., COLLINS, Denmark M.J., 2002. The taphonomy of cooked bone: characteriz- [email protected] 69 Jan J, Enghild veik jų nepažeidžiant. Šiais metodais buvo atlikta išsa-

Carsten Scavenius mi keturių Vytauto Didžiojo karo muziejuje saugomų Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics mezolito kaulinių antgalių analizė. Kauliniai antgaliai Aarhus University Gustav Wieds Vej 10 iš Šventosios upės, Vaikantonių, Obšrūtų ir Kamšų 8000 Aarhus C buvo datuoti AMS metodu, taip pat baltymų analize Denmark buvo nustatyta gyvūno, iš kurio kaulų pagaminti ant- galiai, rūšis, atlikti trasologiniai tyrimai. Datavimo Asta Vasiliauskaitė, rezultatai atskleidė, kad abu kauliniai žeberklai yra Gerarda Dručkuvienė Vytautas the Great War Museum ankstyvesni nei antgaliai su įstatomais titnaginiais aš- Making Silent Bones Speak: Making Silent Bones Speak: Analysis of Orphaned The Illustrated Wit Osseous Tools h Mesolithic Stray Finds K. Donelaičio St 64 menėliais, tačiau visi keturi radiniai datuotini borealio LT-44248 Kaunas laikotarpiu, o tai reiškia ankstyvuoju–viduriniu mezo- Lithuania litu. Remiantis baltymų analize, didžiausia tikimybė, kad abu žeberklai buvo pagaminti iš tauro kaulų. Vi- LIVIJA LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ et al. Kamil Serwatka Institute of Archaeology siems keturiems kauliniams dirbiniams naudoti ilgie- Wroclaw University ji gyvūnų kaulai. Trasologiniai tyrimai parodė, kad Szewska St 48 antgaliai buvo naudoti ne vieną kartą. Apibendrinant 50-139 Wroclaw analizės rezultatus, galima teigti, kad kauliniai antga- Poland liai iš Šventosios upės, Vaikantonių, Obšrūtų ir Kam- Received: 21 January 2018; Revised: 22 February 2018; šų, remiantis tiek gamybos technologija, tiek gyvūno Accepted: 2 May 2018 rūšies pasirinkimu, tiek jų amžiumi, atitinka platesnį vienalaikį mezolito kontekstą. SIEKIANT PRAKALBINTI Svarbu paminėti, kad tai yra tik labai nedidelė dalis TYLIUS KAULUS: atsitiktinai rastų kaulo-rago dirbinių, todėl, norint susi- ATSITIKTINIŲ KAULO-RAGO daryti detalesnį vaizdą apie mezolito kaulo-rago dirbi- DIRBINIŲ ANALIZĖ, nių technologiją, reikia gausesnės duomenų bazės. Dėl REMIANTIS MEZOLITO to nemaža šio straipsnio dalis yra skirta kitiems meto- DIRBINIŲ PAVYZDŽIU dams trumpai pristatyti, nes juos galima gana lengvai pritaikyti kaulo-rago dirbinių analizei. Tai biomole- kuliniai metodai arba stabiliųjų izotopų analizė, kurių LIVIJA IVANOVAITĖ, taikymas gali padėti atsakyti į svarbius archeologų ke- MATHIAS BJØRNEVAD, liamus klausimus. Straipsnyje įvardijami ir kaulo-rago dirbiniams labiausiai tinkami fotofiksacijos metodai, BENTE PHILIPPSEN, kurie ne tik leidžia gauti aukštos raiškos vaizdą, bet CHRISTIAN HOGGARD, ir įgalina šią medžiagą toliau tirti naudojant kompiu- JAN ENGHILD, CARSTEN terines programas, pavyzdžiui, analizuojant dirbinių SCAVENIUS, ASTA VASILIAUSKAITĖ, geometrinę morfometriją. Plačiai ir sistemiškai taikant GERARDA DRUČKUVIENĖ, šiuos metodus kaulo-rago dirbinių analizei, galima PETER JENSEN, RIKKE MARING, sudaryti gausesnę duomenų bazę, kuri būtų pagrindas JAMES DODD, KAMIL SERWATKA, platesnėms apibendrinančioms išvadoms. FELIX RIEDE

Santrauka

Atsitiktiniai kaulo-rago dirbiniai dažnai vertinami dėl estetinės išvaizdos, tačiau vyrauja nuomonė, kad jie turi labai minimalią informacinę vertę archeologijos mokslui. Didelė dalis kaulo-rago dirbinių, rastų Lie- tuvoje, panašiai kaip ir Šiaurės Europoje, aptikta pa- vieniui atsitiktiniai. Jie naudojami dažniausiai tik kaip graži iliustracinė medžiaga publikacijoms ar ekspozi- cijoms. Per pastaruosius kelis dešimtmečius mokslinių metodų taikymas archeologijos srityje labai pažengė ir leidžia tirti net ir nedidelius kaulo-rago dirbinius, be- 70