Experimental Study of Worked Bone Astragali from Two Middle Bronze Age Hungarian Sites

The preference of the astragalus bone for a variety of functions is visible in the archaeological record across a wide temporal and spatial range. Hypotheses that these artifacts functioned as jewelry amulets, good luck charms or dice have been proposed for many collections. Use wear and experimental studies offer new insight into the choice of these common artifacts as raw materials. Studies undertaken at multiple levels of magnification have advanced the analysis of bone surface modification interpreted from wear patterns. Building upon previous worked bone wear studies, the medio-lateral surface modification on astragali from the Middle Bronze Age sites of Zagyvapálfalva and Kisterenye in Hungary are compared with experimentally worked astragalus bones.

Artifact wear analysis on the archaeological astragali conducted using optical microscope and Backscatter Electron Imaging initially indicates a pattern of striations similar to the abrasion modifications created by grit present in hide working or as a result of burnishing ceramic. Experiments were conducted using deer astragali to work these materials utilizing a handling method derived by a combination of the direction of wear and macroscopically visible polish present on the archaeological material. Subsequently, comparison of the use wear on the archaeological materials was made with wear experimentally produced with ceramic and hide processing techniques. A secondary goal of this research is to contribute to future interpretations of worked astragali and their selection as tools and/or ritual or gaming purposes across a wide geographic and temporal distribution.