Mesolithic Ulna “daggers” from Dąbki Site 9 – on the track of their function

Justyna Orłowska

doi:10.23858/SA/76.2024.1.3612

Published: 2024-10-14

Vol. 76 No. 1 (2024)

Mesolithic Ulna “daggers” from Dąbki Site 9 – on the track of their function

Justyna Orłowska

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne

Section: Field Survey and Materials

https://doi.org/10.23858/SA/76.2024.1.3612

Abstract

So-called “bone daggers” made from ulna bones of Cervidae are commonly found at Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherer sites of the western circum-Baltic area. The main objective of this paper is to showcase the results of the technological and functional analysis conducted on three tools found at the Dąbki 9 site in northern Poland. During the traceological analysis, technological traces facilitated the reconstruction of the chaîne opératoire of the tools’ production process. The use-wear also points to the probable function of the artefacts. The results presented in this work are discussed in the context of other artefacts of a similar type known from various prehistoric contexts.

Keywords:

Mesolithic, bone tools, ulna dagger, traceology, experimental archaeology, Dąbki 9

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Orłowska, J. (2024). Mesolithic Ulna “daggers” from Dąbki Site 9 – on the track of their function. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 76(1). https://doi.org/10.23858/SA/76.2024.1.3612

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