The Bone Pin
The artifact here is a Neolithic bone pin found in a burial mound in the Ardennes region which borders France and Belgium. Bone was a commonly worked substance in the Neolithic Period used for many purposes and bone tools were common grave goods. The creation of bone objects was a relatively simple process. First, the bone would be soaked to soften it. Then the bone would be shattered. A properly sized fragment would next be selected and worked to create an object like this pin. Finally, if the bone was damaged, it could be repaired as shown by archaeological evidence. Aside from being a bone tool and thus a standard part of the "Neolithic Package", this pin bears an incised pattern open to interpretation. It could be, among other things, a decorative feature, a mark of ownership, a ritual marking, or a prestige indicator.
Display created by: Sam Caldis
