Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, s. Biologie animală, Tom LIV, 2008 BONE AND ANTLER ARTEFACTS DISCOVERED IN THE MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT OF OLD ORHEI (REPUBLIC OF MOLDAVIA) Luminiţa BEJENARU 1 and Ludmila BACUMENCO 2 1 Al. I. Cuza University Iaşi, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I 20A, 700505 Iaşi, Romania, lumib@uaic.ro; 2 Centre of Archaeology, Institute of Cultural Patrimony, Academy of Sciences, Chişinău, Republic of Moldavia, lbakumenco@yahoo.com Abstract. The present paper includes certain results concerning the analyses of bone and antler artefacts discovered in the medieval site from Old Orhei (Republic of Moldavia). Numerous artefacts have been identified in different stages of manufacturing and also artefacts having different wear levels. Our study emphasizes an important diversity in the typology of artefacts and also in the anatomical and taxonomical selection of raw materials. Keywords: Archaeozoology, Bone and Antler Artefacts, Midlle Ages, Old Orhei. Rezumat. Artefacte din os şi corn descoperite în aşezarea medievală de la Orheiul Vechi (Republica Moldova). Prezenta lucrare cuprinde rezultatele preliminare privind obiectele produse din os şi corn de cervide, descoperite in situl medieval de la Orheiul Vechi (Republica Moldova). Au fost identificate numeroase artefacte aflate în diferite stadii de prelucrare, precum şi piese având diferite nivele de uzură. Studiul nostru evidenţiază o importantă diversitate în tipologia artefactelor, precum şi în selecţia anatomică şi taxonomică a materiilor prime. Cuvinte cheie: arheozoologie, artefacte din os şi corn, evul mediu, Orheiul vechi. Introduction The archaeological complex Old Orhei is situated in the valley of a right tributary of Dniestr Răut River, in the district of Orhei, 60 km North East from Chişinău. The archaeological complex includes many cultural levels, from the prehistory to the late medieval period. The medieval settlement has belonged to the administrative unit named Orhei Land (Ţinutul Orheiului) (Bacumenco, 2006). Smirnov and Birnea have made the archaeological investigations in the period 1947-1963, Ţalkin and David have identified the animal remains discovered in excavations (David, 1982). Later, Postica has coordinated the archaeological investigations in the 1997-2001, and Bejenaru with his collaborators has analysed the archaeozoological assemblage Bejenaru et al., 2003). Material and Methods The material studied in the present paper represents the bone and antler artefacts recovered from the archaeological excavations made in 1997-2001. According to the archaeologists, the artefacts belong to the period of XIV-XVI centuries (Postică et al, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). The artefact analyse was achieved in the museum complex Old Orhei (Republic of Moldavia). The artefact assemblage referred in this paper includes 63 pieces, in majority being antler and bone. Two pendants are made on wild boar tusk, and on Pecten shell. Study methodology was specific to archaeozoology, mainly consisting of anatomical, taxonomical and taphonomical identifications, encoding and quantification of data (Udrescu et al., 1999).
Luminiţa Bejenaru & Ludmila Bacumenco Results and Discussion In the archaeozoological assemblages the majority of the faunal remains have a domestic origin, mainly as food remains. The artefacts with manufacturing marks were collected separately by the archaeologists. The archaeozoological analyse shows that the animal husbandry represented an important alimentary source (Table 1). Table 1. Quantification of the animal remains (Bejenaru et al., 2003): NR = number of rests; NMI = minimum number of individuals. XIV Century XIV-XVII Hoarda de aur Period Centuries Species NR NMI NR NMI Bos taurus 91 4 679 21 Ovis aries 7 3 2 1 Capra hircus 5 2 1 1 Ovis aries /Capra hircus 124 5 67 4 Sus domesticus 3 2 315 22 Equus caballus 64 3 22 2 Canis familiaris 56 4 18 2 Felis domesticus 1 1 2 1 Bos/Equus 25-16 - Total domestic 376 24 1122 54 Cervus elaphus 0 0 72 5 Capreolus capreolus 1 1 13 3 Dama dama 0 0 3 1 Sus scrofa 0 0 7 2 Bos primigenius 0 0 2 1 Ursus arctos 0 0 1 1 Total wild 1 1 98 13 Bos/Cervus 0 0 6 - Mammalia 35-128 - Aves 1-6 - Pisces 1-5 - Total 414 25 1365 67
Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, s. Biologie animală, Tom LIV, 2008 Raw material selection The choice of taxon. The taxons selected as source for raw materials are different in frequency to those used as food (table 1). Deer artefacts are relatively numerous, representing about 55%: 22 of red deer (Cervus elaphus), 7 of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 2 of fallow deer (Dama dama), and 4 without an exactly diagnose. Four pieces proceed from sheep/goat (Ovis aries/capra hircus), one from wild boar (Sus scrofa). A number of 22 artefacts have not a definite specific diagnosis, being identified only as mammals (18), as birds (2), and as shells (2). The choice of body part. Many artefacts, representing 59%, were before antlers and only 36% proceed from bones (1 metapodials, 2 femurs, 2 tibias, 10 scapulas, and 8 unidentified bones). One single tooth and two shells have also been identified. The choice of taxon and body part was probably motivated by consideration of material accessibility, strength, shape and size. Most of the tools are made from red deer antlers that have been probably collected every year by people. Typology and functions About one half of artefacts represent finite pieces, and the rest of the assemblage is represented by pieces in work or rejects. The types of the identified finite pieces are the following: handles, combs, weights, gaming counters, needles, spatulas, pointed pieces, pendants, flutes, rings. The handles, that have been made for knifes or other utensils, present perforations for attachment with rivets (Fig. 1.a.). These artefacts were made from diaphysis wall of sheep/goat tibia (two pieces) or more frequently from red deer antler (seven pieces). Only one hair comb has been identified in our assemblage. It is a double sided and simple comb, made from red deer antler (Fig. 1.b.) Having a different function, we have to remark the presence of a warp comb, made also from red deer antler (Fig. 1.c.). The two steelyard weights present a red deer antler body. One of them has an axial longitudinal hole drilled through it to accommodate an iron rod with a loop at one end (Fig. 2.e.). Four counters on red deer antler represent the identified gaming equipment. Each counter has one side with compass decoration (Fig. 1.d.). The diameter of the pieces is about 33 mm. A larger circular piece (59 mm in diameter) could also represent a gaming counter. It has one side decorated with ten circle sets disposed around of a central orifice (9 mm). This piece was made on a mammal scapula. Needles on mammal long bones (probably on pig fibulas) are in number of five (Fig. 1.e.). They have a sharp point, a round eye bored in the wider flat end. The needles were used for general sewing, being of medium length (in average, 88 mm). Spatula, made on mammal long bone (203 mm in length), presents a bilateral hollow on the middle and a plane-convex shape in profile (Fig. 1.f.). Pointed pieces on mammal long bones, used as penetration tools, represent tools with a single converging end. One of them is made on fallow deer metapodium (Fig. 2.a.). A flute and two bone pipes have been identified in the assemblage. One of them represents a short piece (36 mm) made on femur diaphysis of sheep/goat (Fig. 2.b.). It presents on a side a double oval hole. The bone pipes (about 150 mm in length) are probably made from ulna diaphysis of goose (Fig. 2.c.), and of functionally point of view they could be parts of a pan-pipe (Gal, 2005). A ring made on femur diaphysis of sheep/goat has about 20 mm in diameter (Fig. 2.d.). Many other pieces, probably with decorative functions, were made on roe and red deer antlers.
Luminiţa Bejenaru & Ludmila Bacumenco a. b. c. d. e. f. Figure 1. Bone and antler artefacts: a. knife handle on sheep/goat tibia; b. hair comb on red deer antler; c. warp comb on red deer antler; d. counters on red deer antler; e. needles on long bones; f. spatula on long bone. - 304 -
Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, s. Biologie animală, Tom LIV, 2008 a. c. b. d. e. Figure 2. Bone and antler artefacts: a. pointed piece on fallow deer metapodium; b. flute on sheep/goat femur; c. bone pipes on bird bone; d. ring on sheep/goat femur; e. steelyard weight on red deer antler. Conclusions Our paper offers new information concerning the bone, and antler manufacture in the medieval communities generally and in the Old Orhei settlement particularly. The examination of artefacts, occurring in different states of manufacture respectively use wear, shows a diversity of products obtained by simple or laborious manufacturing methods. Our studies will develop the analysis of the specialised production and nonstandardized products. Raw material selection in this assemblage followed practical consideration mainly of material accessibility, but also strength, shape and size. In most of the cases deer antlers has been used as raw material, but artefacts made of bones and also teeth or shells have been found. - 305 -
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