BONE MASSIVE SPEAR HEADS IN THE MESOLITHIC OF WESTERN RUSSIA (TECHNOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL STUDY)

Abstract

Excavations of peat bog sites in Central Russia have brought to light a rich and highly developed bone industry, which played a very important role in subsistence strategies and everyday life of the Mesolithic population of the region. The present article, however, deals with only one aspect of this bone industry, namely bone heads of massive thrusting spears. From morphological point of view heads of thrusting spears are massive points with conical tip made from long elk bones. The article describes technology of their manufacture and use-wear traces. The latter indicate multiple hitting soft medium dirty material with hard intrusions (most probably hunted mammals) and occasional hitting the ground. Such traces are characteristic for projectile points studied by the author. Faunal remains and ethnographic data indicate the use of such massive spears for hunting elks.