Close to the bone: current studies in bone technologies

Publisher:
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade

For publisher
Miomir Korać

Editor
Selena Vitezović

Editorial board
Steve Ashby (United Kingdom), Corneliu Beldiman (Romania), Alice Choyke (Hungary), Erik Hrnčiarik (Slovakia),
Heidi Luik (Estonia), Sofija Petković (Serbia), Isabelle Sidéra (France)

Reviewers
Steve Ashby (United Kingdom), Corneliu Beldiman (Romania), Alice Choyke (Hungary), Idoia Grau Sologestoa
(Spain), Erik Hnrčiarik (Slovakia), Heidi Luik (Estonia), Marko Janković (Serbia), Bernadeta Kufel-Diakowska
(Poland), Matías E. Medina (Argentina), Sofija Petković (Serbia), Siniša Radović (Croatia), Isabelle Sidéra (France),
James Symonds (Netherlands)

Graphic layout
Amalija Vitezović

ISBN 978-86-6439-005-7 (electronic)

ISBN 978-86-6439-006-4 (print)

Front cover illustration

Caričin Grad (Iustiniana Prima), 6th century AD

Back cover illustration

Niš (Naissus), 4th-6th century AD

This book is published with the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological
Development of the Republic of Serbia.
 Institute of Archaeology

Close to the bone:

current studies in bone technologies

Editor:
Selena Vitezović

Belgrade
2016
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Ch. Arabatzis, Bone industry from the prehistoric settlement Anarghiri IXa, Florina, Greece .............................. 9
S. Ashby, Worked bone on the Wolds: a review of what we know about bone industry and objects in the Chalk
Hills of Yorkshire’s North and East Ridings ...................................................................................................................... 18
J. Baron, M. Diakowski, T. Stolarczyk, Bone and antler artefacts from an 8-5th century BC settlement at
Grzybiany, South-Western Poland ..................................................................................................................................... 28
C. Beldiman, D.-L. Buzea, D.-M. Sztancs, B. Briewig, Microscopy of prehistoric symbolic artefacts. Wietenberg
decorated antler plate discovered at Șoimeni, Harghita County ................................................................................... 48
V. Bikić, S. Vitezović, Bone working and the army: an early eighteenth–century button workshop at the
Belgrade fortress ................................................................................................................................................................... 57
S. Vuković-Bogdanović, I. Bogdanović, Late Roman bone anvils from Viminacium .............................................. 66
J. Bradfield, Fracture analysis of bone tools: a review of the micro-CT and macrofracture methods for studying
bone tool function ................................................................................................................................................................ 71
N. Buc, D. Rivero, M. Medina, The late Holocene bone tools from Quebrada del Real 1 (Sierras of Córdoba,
Argentina) .............................................................................................................................................................................. 80
I. Bugarski, Carved antler tools from Nosa and Manđelos reаssessed: a glimpse into the Avar pictorial evidence 86
M. S. Campos-Martínez, G. Pérez-Roldán, Worked human bone from Teotihuacan, Mexico (1st-6th centuries A.D.) 98
T. Čerškov, G. Jeremić, S. Vitezović, Zoomorphic decorations from osseous materials from Naissus (Niš) ......... 104
É. David, C. Casseyas, P. van der Sloot, J.-M. Léotard, A cross-border use of in-growth antler, to face
Neolithisation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 112
E. Gál, Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age bone tools from the site of Paks-Gyapa (South-Eastern
Transdanubia, Hungary) ...................................................................................................................................................... 121
L. Gidney, Bone artefacts from medieval and post-medieval windmills: changing interpretations ......................... 128
E. Grassi, Bone anvils from the city of Sassari (16th-18th centuries AD) ....................................................................... 133
E. Hrnčiarik, Roman bone artifacts from Iža .................................................................................................................. 140
H. Kalafatić, S. Radović, M. Čavka, M. Novak, M. Mihaljević, R. Šošić Klindžić, A rare find of bone beads
from the Late Bronze Age cemetery in the Southern Carpathian Basin ...................................................................... 146
M. Kovač, Several observations on semi-finished bone products supporting the existence of a bone workshop in
Mursa ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 154
Z. Kovancaliev, Bone cylindrical objects from Stobi ...................................................................................................... 160
F. Lang, Objects made of antler and antler production in the Roman Municipium Iuvavum (Salzburg) ............... 168
H. Luik, Bone working in the suburbs of Medieval and early modern Tallinn, Estonia ............................................ 178
H. Luik, G. Piličiauskienė, Bone tools at the neolithc sites of Šventoji, Lithuania: raw materials and working
methods ................................................................................................................................................................................. 188
V. Manojlović-Nikolić, A contribution to the study of Medieval bone industry: bone and antler objects from the
site of Pontes – Trajan’s bridge (9th−11th century) ............................................................................................................ 201
M. Mărgărit, Exploitation of the Unio sp. valves for non-alimentary purposes in the Romanian Eneolithic.
Archaeological and experimental data .............................................................................................................................. 208
N. Marković, S. Stamenković, Antler workshop in Caričin Grad (Justiniana Prima): reconstruction of the
technological process ........................................................................................................................................................... 218
G. Nuțu, S. Stanc, Carved bone and antler in northern Dobruja ................................................................................. 226
J. Orłowska, Reading osseous artefacts – an application of micro-wear analysis to experimentally worked bone
materials ................................................................................................................................................................................ 236
G. Osipowicz, Technical approach of two mesolithic bone harpoon heads from Wiele 33, central Poland ........... 248
S. Petković, Bone fibulae as grave gifts in Upper Moesia ............................................................................................... 257
S. Redžić, Roman buckles made from bone and ivory discovered at the site of Viminacium .................................. 261
I. Riddler, N. Trzaska-Nartowski, Production in Hamwic: six dials structure 15 ..................................................... 265
M. Ružić, A strange bone object from late Roman necropolis Gladno polje in Bela Palanka (Remesiana) ........... 284
T. Sekelj Ivančan, Early Medieval bone tools from Northern Croatia ......................................................................... 289
A. Shatil, Bone figurines of the Early Islamic period: the so called “Coptic dolls” from Palestine and Egypt ........ 296
I. Sidéra, P. de Maret, An ideal bone for traditional dolls. Ruminants metapodia figurines: archaeological and
ethnographical examples from Africa and Europe .......................................................................................................... 315
P. Stokes, A new interpretation of post-medieval bone scoops from the foreshore of the river Thames in London 324
D.-M. Sztancs, C. Beldiman, M. Gh. Barbu, M. M. Barbu, Artefacts made of perforated shells discovered in a
Bronze Age ritual pit from Uroi, Hunedoara County, Romania .................................................................................... 338
T. Tkalčec, Life in a mediaeval castle: bone artefacts as indicators of handicraft and leisure ................................... 356
Vinayak, Possible smoothening and polishing techniques practiced over bone and antler arrowheads at iron age
sites of Atranjikhera and Jakhera ....................................................................................................................................... 364
K. Winnicka, More than meets the eye: microscopic and technological studies on Early Bronze Age bone and
antler beads from Kichary Nowe, south-eastern Poland ............................................................................................... 376
List of contributors ............................................................................................................................................................... 395
 BONE WORKING IN THE SUBURBS OF MEDIEVAL
AND EARLY MODERN TALLINN, ESTONIA

Heidi Luik
Abstract: The article discusses bone tools found from medieval and early modern suburbs of Tallinn. The studied find
material comes from the excavations at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 in 1996 and at Tartu Road 1 in 2011-2012. The plot
at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 was located by the road to Pärnu and western Estonia. Both bone and antler artefacts and
working refuse were quite numerous there, the earliest finds belonging to the 13th-14th centuries and latest to the 17th-
18th centuries. The plot at Tartu Road 1 was located in the suburb by the road to Tartu and also to northeastern Estonia.
The earliest finds there date from the 14th-15th centuries and the latest from the 18th-19th centuries. Both artefacts and
working debris have been found, the most abundant among the debris were waste of bead and button making. Some ant-
ler objects and antler working refuse were also found. At the present stage of investigation the greatest share of bone and
antler working waste in Tallinn has been found from the excavations in the suburban areas. The bone and antler working
refuse found at these suburbs may refer to itinerant bone workers who stayed and worked there.

Apstrakt: U ovom radu su analizirani koštani predmeti pronađeni u srednjevekovnim i rano-novovekovnim predgrađima
Talina. Analizirani materijal potiče iz ulice Rozikranci 9/11 istraživane 1996. i sa puta Tartu 1, istraživanog tokom 2011-
2012. Ulica Rozikranci 9/11 bila je smeštena na putu prema Permu i zapadnoj Estoniji. Tu su pronađeni brojni predmeti
od kostiju, rogova, kao i velika količina otpadaka, i to najraniji nalazi pripadaju 13-14 veku, a najmlađi 17-18. Tartu put
1 bio je smešten u predgrađu na putu za Tartu i prema severoistočnoj Estoniji. Najraniji nalazi odavde potiču iz 14-15.
veka, a najmlađi iz 18-19. I ovde su pronađeni i gotovi artefakti i otpaci od proizvodnje, uključujući i do sada najbogatiji
nalaz otpadaka od pravljenja perlica i dugmadi. Osim od kostiju, pronađeno je i nešto otpadaka i gotovih predmeta i
od rogova. Prema sadašnjem stanju istraženosti, najbogatiji nalazi otpadaka od kostiju i rogova u Talinu pronađen je u
prigradskoj zoni. Ovi otpaci iz predgrađa možda se mogu povezati sa putujućim zanatlijama koji su obrađivali kost i koji
su tamo povremeno boravili i radili.

INTRODUCTION
In the article bone tools found from medieval and ear-
ly modern suburbs of Tallinn are discussed. The studied
find material comes from two sites: Roosikrantsi Street
9/11 and Tartu Road 1 (Fig. 1). The archaeological inves-
tigations at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 took place in 1996
and at Tartu Road 1 in 2011-2012. An overview of bone
and antler items from the site Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 has
been published more than ten years ago (Luik, Maldre
2003), an analysis of the bone and antler artefacts found
at Tartu road 1 is completed recently (Luik et al. 2015).
Both plots were located near the roads to the other towns
of Medieval Livonia: the plot at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11
by the road to Pärnu and Riga and western Estonia, and
the plot at Tartu Road 1 in the suburb by the road to Tar-
tu and also to Narva and northeastern Estonia. The aim
of the present article is to give a short overview of bone
items and bone working debris found from these two
sites and to discuss the question why the greatest share of
bone and antler working debris in Tallinn has been found
from these suburban sites.
BONE AND ANTLER ITEMS FROM ROOSIKRANTSI
STREET 9/11
The plot at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 was located by the
road to Pärnu and western Estonia (Fig. 1:B). Two exca-
vations were made in 1996, with a total area of 2300 m2.
Both bone and antler artefacts and working refuse were
quite numerous there, the earliest finds belonging to the
13th-14th centuries and latest to the 17th-18th centuries.
A total of 116 bone artefacts, their fragments and bone
working scrap fragments were recovered, the scrap form-
ing more than 60% of bone finds (Luik, Maldre 2003).
According to Vladimir Sokolovski who excavated the
plot, dwelling houses and vegetable gardens were located
there in the 13th-14th centuries. A chapel and a cemetery
of St Barbara were established in this region probably in
the middle of the 14th century. There are almost no traces
of settlement of the 15th-16th centuries, new building ac-
tivities started only in the second half of the 17th century
(Sokolovski 1997: 150-155).
The bone objects found contain fragments of four
combs, three of them are double composite combs and
one is a double simple comb (Fig. 2:1; Luik, Maldre
2003: 7-8, fig. 3). The composite combs date apparent-
ly from the 13th-14th centuries, the simple one may be
somewhat later. Six bone needles were found, also dat-
ing most likely from the 13th-14th centuries (Fig. 2:6-7;
Luik, Maldre 2003: 8-9, fig. 4). Five pierced phalanges
of cattle were found, one having an iron rod pushed
through the longitudinal hole. According to the find-
ing context they may date from the 13th-14th centuries
(Fig. 2:2, 11; Luik, Maldre 2003: 9, fig. 5). One domi-
no was found from the disturbed layer. It is a thin bone

178
 H. Luik, Bone working in the suburbs of Medieval and early modern Tallinn, Estonia

Fig. 1. Tallinn suburbs in the 17th century. Situation plan of the excavation areas at Tartu Road 1 and at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11. Base map: Unpub-
lished reconstruction of 17th century Tallinn by K. Schultz (TLA 149-4-53). Drawing by R. Nurk and V. Kadakas (town plan) and K. Siitan (map).

plate, which was probably riveted to a wooden base, it
could belong to the early modern or modern period
(Fig. 2:13; Luik, Maldre 2003: 9-10, fig. 6). Three turned
details, found from the eastern part of the excavation,
apparently also date from a later period (Fig. 2:8, 14;
Luik, Maldre 2003: 16, fig. 13). Some decorative plates
of bone were also found (Fig. 2:3-5; Luik, Maldre 2003:
12-13, fig. 9).
Several handles of knives and forks and their frag-
ments were found, the earliest is probably the profiled one
decorated with dots and circles (Luik, Maldre 2003: fig.
10). Seven handles consist of plates riveted to the sides of
iron tang of the object. Four handle-plates were made of
bone (Luik, Maldre 2003: fig. 11), and three of ivory (Fig.
2:9-10, 12). These knives and forks are late, modern-time
cutlery. Some of them were recovered from the disturbed
eastern part of the excavation, some were found from the
western part where incidental 16th-18th-century finds
came to light among the earlier ones (Luik, Maldre 2003:
13-16).
Some tools made of antler and bone were also discov-
ered (Luik, Maldre 2003: 11-12, figs. 7-8). An awl made
from elk antler tine and a hammer of an antler beam
probably belong to the 13th-14th centuries. A tool of a
tine, with wedge shaped end, and an object of a metatar-
sal bone of cattle came to light in the disturbed layer of
the eastern part of the excavation.
The majority of the finds are of bone and antler
working scrap, including four bone fragments with
working traces (Fig. 3:11, 16; Luik, Maldre 2003: 20-
21, fig. 17). The 20 antler fragments include produc-
tion refuse (mainly sawn-off tine tips and fragments
from the concave side of antler) and half-finished items
(plates of the compact part of antler prepared for fur-
ther working, and other fragments) (Fig. 3:1-10, 12-15;
Luik, Maldre 2003: 17-19, figs. 14-16). Nearly half of
the bone finds from Roosikrantsi Street are bone scrap
from the production of buttons (a total of 46 pieces).
A few bone buttons and a bone bead were also among
the finds. The greater part of the scrap from button
making is made up of rib fragments, but some are of
cattle scapula (Fig. 4; Luik, Maldre 2003: 21-23, table
1, figs. 18-20).

179
 Close to the bone...
were found already during the prelimi-
nary research in 2010. The earliest finds
date from the 14th-15th centuries and
the latest from the 18th-19th centuries
(Kadakas et al. 2013; Russow et al. 2013;
Luik et al. 2015: figs. 3-11).
According to find contexts more than
a half of bone objects could be connect-
ed to the medieval period, the 14th – last
quarter of the 16th centuries: a bone
needle, a fragmentary double composite
comb, a claw bone of a bear, some dice
and disc-shaped gaming pieces, a toggle,
a crossbow nut, a detail of a knife handle,
a cylindrical object and some decorative
plates made from antler (Fig. 5). Worked
elk antler pieces (Fig. 6) and bone work-
ing debris left from bead making (Fig.
7) also come mostly from medieval con-
texts. Two bone flutes made from sheep/
goat tibia also could be dated to this pe-
riod (Fig. 5:9-10). It is worth of mention-
ing here that from Tērvete in Latvia, the
Fig. 2. Bone artefacts from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 (AI 6109). 1 – double composite comb, neighbouring country of Estonia, an im-
2, 11 – cattle phalanges, 3-5 – decorative plates, 6-7 bone needles, 8, 14 – turned objects, age of a man with presumable bone flute
9-10, 12 – ivory handles, 13 – domino. Photos by E. Väljal (1) and H. Luik (2-14). has been found, scratched on the clay
side of a stove. This image probably dates
BONE AND ANTLER ITEMS FROM TARTU ROAD 1 from the 13th century (Urtāns 1970: 227,
fig. 3; Griciuvienė 2005: 214, fig. 1300).
The plot at Tartu Road 1 was located in the suburb by Only a few items could be dated to the early mod-
the road to Tartu and also to northeastern Estonia (Fig. ern period, the 16th-17th centuries, according to their
1:A). This suburb has been called Kivi-
silla – that means Stone Bridge – suburb,
because at this place a stone bridge was
located on the Härjapea River. Remains
of the oldest medieval building were
found at the northern part of the exca-
vated area. Several buildings with differ-
ent sizes have been located in the area in
later periods (Kadakas et al. 2013).
An area of about 1100 m2 was investi-
gated at Tartu Road 1, the cultural layer at
the site was 2.5-3 m thick. It was possible
to distinguish three building stages of the
medieval house, in the course of rebuild-
ing works it was built larger. By the opin-
ion of archaeologists Ulla Kadakas and
Villu Kadakas who investigated the area
both the location of the plot as well as the
size and division of space of the house
indicate rather a building for public use
(e.g. a guesthouse or a tavern) than a sim-
ple dwelling. 86 bone and antler objects
were found during the excavations in
2011-2012, half of them – 43 – were frag- Fig. 3. Antler (1-10, 12-15) and bone (11, 16) working debris from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11
ments of working refuse. Six bone items (AI 6109). Photo by H. Luik.

180
 H. Luik, Bone working in the suburbs of Medieval and early modern Tallinn, Estonia
the working debris and artefacts
were of antler. At least five objects
– pins from fibulae – were of pig’s
bone, one handle was of sheep
metatarsus and three handles were
of elephant ivory. Local produc-
tion was primarily connected with
button making, which explains the
use of flat bones – ribs and scapu-
lae – which constitute more than
a third of identifiable material.
Sawn-off horn cores, indicating the
working of horn, were not found at
Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 (Fig. 10;
Luik, Maldre 2003, 28-29).
At the plot Tartu Road 1 defi-
Fig. 4. Bone buttons and button making debris from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 (AI 6109). Photo nitely cattle bones are the three
by H. Luik, drawing by A. Luik. phalanges and the horn core, the
faceted handle (Fig. 8:6) is made
finding contexts: two cattle phalanges with engraved from cattle long bone. Most prob-
marks, an antler comb, a bone fork and a handle (Fig. ably cattle bones – ribs and long bones – were used for
8:1-5). About twenty objects could be dated to the 18th- making beads and buttons. The comb, the dice, the fork
19th centuries. Most of such finds are bone buttons and and the handle are also probably made from cattle bones.
button making debris (Fig. 9). Only two other items Since all these items have been carefully worked and
could belong to the 18th-19th centuries: a fragment of characteristic attributes of bone have been removed it is
a tooth brush and two parts of a cylindrical bone tube not possible to identify the bones precisely and it could
(Fig. 8:8-9). Six bone items found during the prelimi- be possible that horse bones were also used occasionally.
nary investigations in 2010 – two handles (Fig. 8:6-7) The only bone items made from sheep/goat bones are the
and four buttons – come from the 16th-18th century two bone flutes made from tibiae. Three objects are made
contexts. from pig bones – a needle from a fibula, a point from a
rib and a presumable toggle from a radius. About a sixth
USED RAW MATERIAL AND of identified material were antler working debris and
UNWORKED FAUNAL REMAINS

The species whose skeletal parts were

used for making artefacts in both sites
were cattle (Bos taurus), elk (Alces al-
ces), sheep/goat (Ovis aries/Capra hir-
cus) and pig (Sus scrofa domestica). A
few items of elephant ivory were found
from both sites (Figs. 2:9-10, 12; 8:7), in
addition one claw bone of brown bear
(Ursus arctos) was found from the site
Tartu Road 1 (Fig. 5:1). Mainly cattle
bones and elk antler were used as raw
materials. Most often used skeletal parts
at both sites were long bones, ribs and
antler (Fig. 10).
The material of a little more than half
of the finds could be identified to species
level at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 (Luik,
Maldre 2003: 28-29, table 2). Nearly a
quarter of finds can be identified as cat- Fig. 5. Bone and antler artefacts from medieval contexts at Tartu Road 1 (AI 7032). 1 –
dice, 2-3 – disc-shaped gaming pieces, 4 – fragment of a crossbow nut, 5 – double composite
tle bones, but most of the unidentified comb, 6 – bone needle, 7 – cattle phalanx, 8 – brown bear claw bone, 9-10 – bone flutes,
bones also belong likely to cattle. Of elk 11-12 – decorative plates, 13 – cylindrical antler item, 14 – handle detail, 15 – antler object
only antlers were used; about a fifth of in the shape of truncated cone. Photo by S. Nittim.

181
 Close to the bone...
BONE WORKERS IN MEDIEVAL
AND EARLY MODERN SUBURBS OF
TALLINN

Similar bone and antler items –

combs, needles, handles, flutes, gaming
pieces, beads, buttons etc. – have been
found also from other sites in Tallinn and
from other medieval and early modern
towns and castles of Estonia (e.g. Lihula,
Otepää, Tartu, Viljandi; Luik 2001; 2002;
2009; 2015; Heinloo et al. 2011; Haak et
al. 2012). Comparable bone artefacts are
known also from the neighbouring coun-
tries (e.g. Caune, Celmiņs 1988; Berga
1992; Apala 1994; Rackevičius 1999;
Blaževičius 2011; Vasiliauskas 2012) and
elsewhere in Europe (e.g. Ulbricht 1984;
Fig. 6. Antler working debris from Tartu Road 1 (AI 7032). Photo by S. Nittim. MacGregor 1985; van Vilsteren 1987;
Röber 1994; Erath 1996; Spitzers 1999;
antler items: a simple comb, gaming pieces, decorative Gróf, Gróh 2001; Heege 2002).
plates etc. Only one cattle horn core with working traces Nevertheless, the abundance of bone and antler work-
has been found from the site, presumably horn was not ing refuse at these two sites is remarkable in the context of
worked there. One handle is made of elephant ivory (Fig. Tallinn and other towns of Estonia. Much less bone work-
10; Luik et al. 2015: 148). ing debris than from these suburban plots has been found
Among the analysed unworked faunal remains from the territory of the Tallinn Old town inside the town
from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 and Tartu Road 1 also wall (e.g. Luik 2001: 324; Luik, Russow 2014: 109). Bone
the bones of domestic animals prevail, most abundant workers are not mentioned among craftsmen of Tallinn
are cattle bones (ca 53-58%), sheep/coat and pig bones in medieval written sources (Kaplinski 1980), but they are
were next numerous. A few horse (Equus caballus), dog mentioned only rarely elsewhere also (e.g. Christophers-
(Canis familiaris) and cat (Felis catus domesticus) bones en 1980, 228; MacGregor 1985, 53, 372-373; Konczewska
were also found. The bones of wild animals were rep- 2011, 306-308). More abundant bone working refuse is
resented only by some bones of mountain hare (Lepus still known from some medieval castles in Estonia, for
timidus) at both sites; at Tartu Road 1 a few bones of example from Otepää and Viljandi (Luik 2009: fig. 15:1-
wild boar (Sus scrofa ferus) and seals (Phocidae) were 9, 20:1, 3; 27:1, 4; 2015: 96 ff.; Haak et al. 2012: 321-325,
identified also. Both butchering and kitchen waste were figs. 24-31).
represented among faunal remains (Luik, Maldre 2003: But does the abundance of bone and antler working
26-27, fig. 22; Russow et al. 2013: 159-162, table 2, fig. 6; refuse from the sites at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 and Tartu
Luik et al. 2015: 160). Similar composition of species is road 1 suggest that a permanent bone and antler work-
common also for the arhaeozooloogical material from ing workshop could have been located in these suburban
other medieval and early modern towns of Estonia (e.g. areas?
Maldre 2007; Haak 2007: 43-
47, table, fig 1; Rannamäe 2010;
Haak et al. 2012: 300, table 2,
fig. 3). Antler working debris
and antler items are relatively
numerous both at Roosikrantsi
Street 9/11 and Tartu Road 1,
but other elk skeletal parts were
not represented among faunal
remains, thus the found antler
pieces were probably raw mate-
rial brought there by the antler
workers (Luik, Maldre 2003: 27;
Luik et al. 2015: 160). Fig. 7. Bone beads and bead manufacturing debris from Tartu Road 1 (AI 7032). Photo by S.
Nittim.

182
 H. Luik, Bone working in the suburbs of Medieval and early modern Tallinn, Estonia
2001, 282). Probably a travelling
button maker stayed in the area of
Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 for a while
and manufactured buttons accord-
ing to the demand for his produc-
tion. The other possibility still is
that a workshop has been located
somewhere in the neighbourhood
and the scrap found is but a very
small part of its refuse, the rest of
which may have been destroyed by
the later activities or are located in a
still uninvestigated area (Luik, Mal-
dre 2003: 30-31).
The large medieval house at the
Fig. 8. Early modern and modern bone objects from Tartu Road 1 (AI 7032, AI 6967). 1 – fork, plot Tartu Road 1 may have been a
2 – handle, 3 – double simple comb, 4-5 – cattle phalanges, 6 – handle decorated with black col- guesthouse or a tavern. The location
our, 7 – elephant ivory handle, 8 – two fragments of a bone tube, 9 – fragment of a toothbrush. of the house near the bridge and the
Photos by S. Nittim (1-5, 8-9) and H. Luik (6-7).
roads as well as find material, es-
pecially shards of ceramic vessels
speak both in favour of such a hy-
pothesis (Kadakas et al. 2013: 142;
Russow et al. 2013: 150-155, 166).
Such an interpretation suits also
well with the bone finds. Gaming
and gambling also belonged to me-
dieval taverns (Heinloo et al. 2011:
46-47, 64-66, fig. 14), the dice and
disc shaped gaming pieces found
from the plot were witnesses of
such pastimes. Music definitely also
Fig. 9. Bone buttons and button making debris from Tartu Road 1 (AI 7032). belonged to the taverns (Heinloo et
Photo by S. Nittim. al. 2011: 24) and so the bone flutes
fit well with this interpretation.
The bone finds from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 cover a Medieval bone and antler work-
span of 600 years, from the 13th to the 18th centuries. ing debris is rather scant at Tartu Road 1 also and does
Working debris from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 could not support a hypothesis about the existence of a per-
mostly be divided into two categories: antler working manent bone workshop in this area either. Presumably
scrap which could belong to the medieval period and the scant working refuse may have been left by itinerant
button making scarp which is probably somewhat later craftsmen. There was probably no stable market or suf-
(Luik, Maldre 2003: 16-23, figs. 14-20). Even if to presume ficient customers for products of bone workers in small
that all bone and antler fragments with working-traces towns. This has been presumed for example about bead
except of button making refuse belong to the 13th-14th and button makers, whose simple tools for drilling beads/
centuries, the number of such finds – 24 pieces – is quite buttons enabled an itinerant way of life (Gróf, Gróh 2001:
modest and does not suggest the presence of a permanent 282). It could have also been possible for an antler work-
bone and antler working workshop in the area, although er, who probably carried with him a certain amount of
bone and antler objects have indubitably been made there material and produced objects following the demand on
(Luik, Maldre 2003: 29-30). site. A guesthouse or tavern at the crossing point of roads
The number of button making scrap, dated to some- and the river could have been a suitable stopping place for
what later period, is about 50 finds which testify to the such craftsmen.
manufacture of a little more than 200 buttons. Some doz- Could the medieval bone and antler working refuse
ens of bone plates with holes speak of a work of only cou- at Tartu Road 1 have been the result of the activities of
ple of hours (Spitzers 1999, 242). But even for the sites one or several bone workers? It seems more probable
with thousands of button and bead blanks no permanent that there have been different craftsmen who presum-
workshop has been suggested, a button maker is thought ably specialized in specific products and handled par-
to have travelled from place to place (e.g. Gróf, Gróh ticular materials. A craftsman making beads from the

183
 Close to the bone...

Fig. 10. Skeletal parts used for making bone artefacts at Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 and at Tartu Road 1.
Most of unidentified bones presumably are also long bones.

diaphyses of long bones could have easily got the neces- River, at Tartu Road 10 (Fig. 11:7). It is possible that this
sary raw material on spot, since a lot of cattle long bones plate could have been bought from the bone worker who
were found among unworked faunal remains (Russow et stayed at Tartu Road 1 (Luik et al. 2015: 161, fig. 12:1).
al. 2013: fig. 6). An antler worker should have carried at An antler artefact in the shape of a truncated cone and
least some amount of raw material with him. Elk skeletal folded decorations (Fig. 5:15) has parallels in the deco-
parts are usually not represented among unworked fau- ration of gunpowder horns made from antler (van Vil-
nal remains in the medieval towns of Livonia, although steren 1987: fig. 30; Caune, Celmiņš 1988: fig. 58; Haak
a few elk and red deer bones have been found at medie- et al. 2012: 313-314, fig. 17). Perhaps in the case of this
val castles (e.g. Luik, Maldre 2003: 26-27; Haak 2007, 49; hollow antler object the plan was to carve a gunpowder
Rannamäe 2010; Haak et al. 2012: 308-309, tables 1-2). horn, but the blank broke during manufacturing. The
The two decorative plates from Tartu Road 1 (Fig. 5:11- craftsman may have wanted to use the broken blank to
12) were manufactured using similar working methods create another object, but for some reason it was left un-
and could have been made by the same craftsman. Some finished.
antler pieces have also been prepared in a manner, so A few items belonging to the early modern period (Fig.
that decorative plates could have been manufactured of 8:1-7) represent common artefacts, which were used in
them (Fig. 6:1, 3). A very similar decorated antler plate domestic households – a comb, a fork and some handles.
has been found also at the other side of the Härjapea The cattle phalanges were most likely children toys. One
of them has a more sophisticated
decoration: small dots and a quad-
rangle divided into four triangles.
A phalanx with a similar decoration
has been found e.g. from Amster-
dam (Rijkelijkhuizen 2008: fig. 1.2).
Bone buttons may have belonged
to garments, a few bone working
refuse could presumably originate
from domestic craft (Fig. 9; Egan,
Pritchard 1991: 314). Some bone
buttons could be the product of local
domestic button making, but there
is no working refuse left from man-
Fig. 11. Bone items from other sites at the Kivisilla suburb in Tallinn. 1 – handles (Härjapea III,
AI 6004/III); 2 – buttons, 3-4 – turned items, 5 – bone plate and 6 – worked antler piece (Tartu ufacturing of shank buttons, which
Road 18, AI 6566); 7 – antler plate with decoration (Tartu Road 10, AI 6456). Photo by H. Luik. were also found from this plot.

184
 H. Luik, Bone working in the suburbs of Medieval and early modern Tallinn, Estonia
The early modern bone items found at Tartu Road 1
are in general similar to the bone finds from the rest of the
territory of the Kivisilla suburb, where also cutlery with
bone handles, bone combs and brushes, buttons, turned
bone items and cattle phalanges are common finds (Fig.
11:1-5). But it is noteworthy that bone working debris has
not been found from other plots in Kivisilla suburb, ex-
cept for only one antler piece with cutting traces from the
plot at Tartu Road 18 (Fig. 11:6; Luik et al. 2015: 162, fig.
12:2).
SUBURBS – SUITABLE LOCATION FOR ITINERANT
BONE WORKERS?
As already mentioned both plots discussed in the
present article – Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 and Tartu Road
1 – were located near the roads to the other towns of me-
dieval Livonia (Fig. 1). The plot at Roosikrantsi Street
9/11 was located near the road from Harju Gate toward
Pärnu and Riga and western Estonia and the plot at Tar-
tu Road 1 – by the road from the Karja and Viru Gates
toward Tartu and Narva in eastern Estonia. Presumably
these sites could have been a suitable location for itiner-
ant craftsmen.
Bone working refuse has been found from similar
contexts in other Livonian towns also (Fig. 1). For ex-
ample in a small town Viljandi in southern Estonia both
bone items as well as bone working scarp has been found
in the suburb near Riga gate. The working debris consist-
ed mostly of flat rib and antler plates suitable for making
decorative plates, a bone plate with engraved letters has
also been found there. Probably a travelling bone work-
er or workers may have stopped at this place (Luik 2015:
105-106, fig. 3). Andres Tvauri who excavated this plot
has suggested that probably a smithy and a tavern were
located there, finds from these excavations have been dat-
ed mostly to the 14th-16th centuries (Tvauri 2000: 56).
The tavern and forge were both located close to the road
to Riga – an important centre in medieval Livonia – so
this area may have been a favourable place for an itiner-
ant craftsman to spend some time. Thus this site probably
also indicates the existence of itinerant bone workers in
medieval Livonia. Except of the suburb at the Riga Gate,
bone working debris has been found also from the suburb
near the Tartu Gate in Viljandi (Haak 2007: 50, fig. 2).
In Tartu bone working debris has been found at the
southern or the so-called Riga-suburb, which was located
near the Riga Gate (Haak 2007: 50). However, the possi-
bility can not be ruled out that some artefacts or refuse
found from the Riga-suburb in Tartu could have been
brought there from other districts of town with waste and
filling material (Haak 2014: 61, 64). Some bone and antler
items at Tartu Road 1 in Tallinn also come from the filling
layer of wide pit which was filled in the beginning of 17th
century (Kadakas et al. 2013; Luik et al. 2015: 146). Ma-
terial for filling the pit could originate from the cultural
185
layer of the same suburban site, but it is also possible that
it was brought from somewhere else.
CONLUSIONS
At the present stage of investigation the largest
amount of bone and antler working waste in Tallinn has
been found from the excavations in the suburban areas.
Bone finds from both the discussed sites – Roosikrantsi
Street 9/11 and Tartu Road 1 – are quite similar and tes-
tify that the suburbs located by the roads to other towns
and castles could have been suitable stopping places for
itinerant craftsmen who also manufactured their prod-
ucts there. Similar was the situation also in some other
towns of medieval Livonia (e.g. Viljandi, Tartu). Bone
working refuse from Roosikrantsi Street 9/11 comes
from two periods: antler working scrap belongs to the
medieval period, button making scarp is probably later.
At Tartu Road 1 majority of bone and antler working de-
bris comes from the medieval period, only a few bone
working scrap pieces – button making debris – belongs
to the later times, to the 18th century. Finished bone
items found at both plots represent medieval and early
modern artefacts, which are common among finds from
Tallinn and other Estonian towns as well as in neigh-
bouring areas.
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Abbreviations:
AI – Institute of History, Tallinn University
TLA – Tallinn City Archives
Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the
Estonian Science Foundation (ETF grant no 9405) and the
Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (IUT18-8).
The author thanks Ulla Kadakas, Villu Kadakas, Liina
Maldre, Sander Nittim, Ragnar Nurk, Liis Soon and Helle
Solnask for their kind help.