In 2010 we discovered two unusual artifacts with unique characteristics made of dog mandibles, in the tell settlement of Sultana-Malu Roşu, Romania (see attachment). From a chrono-cultural point of view the site belongs to the Gumelnița culture (ca. 4600–3950 BC) part of the large Eneolithic cultural complex Kodjadermen-Gumelniţa-Karanovo VI from Balkans.
Does anybody know other artifacts made of dog mandibles from prehistory or other time periods?
Thanks in advance.
The best place to post this question, Catalin, is the Bonetools mailing list:
https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools
The book "A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean - for making discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere under the directions of Captains Cook, Clerke and Gore in the years 1776..." published by captain Cook, mentions,on page 239,that the Hawaiians (from "Atooi") ".....also have small instruments composed of a single shark's tooth, some of which are fixed to the fore-part of a jaw-bone of a dog ....these serve occasionally as knives and are probably used in carving".
All the best,
Col
You might want to contact John Olsen (anthropology) University of Arizona, Tucson. He is one of thr dog evolution experts.
You can tell him Geoff Pope sent you.
Good hunting!
Often used for making fish-hook lures. See Figure 5.8, page 87 of Leach, B.F. 2007. A cache of fishhooks from Serendipity Cave, Jackson Bay, New Zealand. pp 79–95. In: Anderson, A.J., Green, K. and Leach, B.F. (eds). Vastly Ingenious: The archaeology of material culture in honour of Janet M. Davidson. Otago University Press. 319 pp.
Catalin, you may want to investigate the Srubna (Timber Grave Culture) cultural repertoire of the Middle-Late Bronze Age, located in the Pontic-Caspian steppe. The site of Krasnosamarskoe contains portions of dog crania that may have been ritually cut.
http://www.archaeology.org/issues/102-1309/features/1205-timber-grave-culture-krasnosamarskoe-bronze-age
Hi, Catalin. I found some articles about the use of tools made of bones, but specially from deer and beaver to cut the grass. Unfortunately, the articles are in spanish, i couldn't find it in english:
http://www.harpea.org/Publicaciones/Articulos/El%20hueso%20como%20materia%20prima_T.Investigaci%F3n_M.Mozota.pdf
http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/10437/1/An%C3%A1lisis%20de%20instrumentos%20en%20costilla%20de%20alce.pdf
One of the specialist is Ignacio Clemente-Conte. I hope you can find some help.
In my own collection I have a "string " bag from Malaita in the Solomons that has attached to it a dog jaw. I'm not sure whether it is a decoration/ magic/wealth item. It was collected in the early 1980s.
All the best,
Col
We too, in French Polynesia, at Vai'hi site on Raiatea Island, 1977, have found peaces of dog's jaws, which have been cut, sharpened and pointed into tatooing combs. They are displayed in the Tahiti Museum in Puna'auia.
The site had been dated 1080+/-80 AD by Gif /Yvette Laboratory.
Dear Catalin, There is some papers, but quite old, on part of dogs used as tool during the Chalcolithic from Russia, particularly for decorating pottery.
Dear All,
@ All - Thanks for the kind answers, photos, links and references...Very useful all of them...
@ Christian Meyer - The dog mandibles of your picture are similar to those found by me. Very interesting. Do you know other details about this mandibles (the site, the region, chronological period, context, etc.)? They are published?
Thanks in advance...
Catalin
Brian Worthington, FSU Masters thesis covers dog remains in the US with a focus on Florida.
I analyzed modified bones from the Spirit Hill site, which is located in Northeastern Alabama of the United States. I only analyzed and recorded the cultural and natural modifications; since I did not have access to a comparative collection at the time. Therefore, I could not identify the remains to any specific taxa. I did use some reference guides in order to determine possible taxa; thus, I used the designation cf. I was working at a Cultural Resource Management firm.
There was one modified mandible that could potentially be dog, but again I would not make that identification without a comparative collection. This mandible did not come out of a feature; however, this portion of the site dates approximately to the Middle to Late Woodland period. The mandible had been reshaped and exhibited some polish. The ramus is where the majority of the modification and reshaping took place. In addition, there were cut marks on the reshaped portion. Here is a scan of the artifact; I apologize for the poor quality.
See this paper for examples.
https://www.academia.edu/10363167/Leach_B.F._2007._A_cache_of_fishhooks_from_Serendipity_Cave_Jackson_Bay_New_Zealand._pp_79_95._In_Anderson_A.J._Green_K._and_Leach_B.F._eds_._Vastly_Ingenious_The_archaeology_of_material_culture_in_honour_of_Janet_M._Davidson._Otago_University_Press._319_pp
Dear Andrew & Foss,
Thank you for additional information about dog mandibles artefacts.
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