Find of the Week
I have not posted one of these “finds” for a while. We’ve recently shifted our lab work from sorting shell midden to cataloging, so we’re starting to handle a lot of unusual objects. This “hook” thingy is made of sea mammal bone and clearly part of a composite tool. The two triangular parts are nicely finished and appear designed to extend out from the tool, while the center piece is where this artifact would have been lashed or fitted into the larger object. The triangles have several faint lines scratched onto their surfaces. The lines are so haphazardly inscribed that I don’t think they are meant to be decorative, but they also don’t seem to be functional, nor are they usewear. Any ideas of what kind of tool this object is from? I’m guessing possibly part of a harpoon, boat hook, or kayak frame.
Bone artifact from Aniakchak.
A couple thoughts - how about a ‘rig spreader’? The two triangles are where one hung two hooks from the halibutt rig (we got lots of these from Karluk sites, but none so elaborate. So I dunno.
Also - how about a thread spool? The gut spools we have also have ‘haphazard lines’ on them from where the gut cut into the spool. Finally - how about a tool to hold cod fishing line?
Total guesses off the top of my head. cool piece.
Patrick