A Chance Discovery
During sand extraction in the floodplains of the IJssel near Spoolde in 1961, several pieces of antler were found. Upon examination, some fragments were worked and identified as prehistoric tools. These tools date back to the Neolithic period, in the second half of the fourth millennium BC.
Red Deer
Most of the tools were made from the antlers of the red deer. Additionally, some antler fragments from elk, roe deer, and one fragment from reindeer were found.
Antlers grow anew each year and are shed at the end of winter. During growth, the antler is covered with skin and nourished by blood vessels running through it. Growing antler is too soft to make objects from. By summer, the antler is fully grown. The blood vessels then die off and the skin begins to peel. The antler is then hard enough to work with.
From Antler to Tool
Some tools still show traces of workmanship that reveal how they were made. A sharp piece of flint was used to chip away the hard outer layer of the antler, after which the spongy core was broken. Sometimes the broken end was then smoothed. Depending on the use, a hole was drilled into the antler again with flint to attach a handle.
What Were the Tools Used For?
Various types of tools were found in Spoolde. Two types are shown here: a base axe and an eye branch axe. The names refer to the part of the antler from which they were made. Base refers to the main stem of the antler and eye branch to the lower branch.
Although such tools are normally called axes, they are too soft to chop down trees. Stone axes were used for that purpose.
Some suggest the tools could have been used, among other things, for making dugout canoes. The core of the tree trunk was burned, after which the soft charcoal could be chipped away. The ends of the so-called base axes are often smoothly worn, suggesting they were also used as hammers. Another possibility is that they were used for land cultivation. The Neolithic period is when agriculture began to develop.
Come and See!
The Find of the Month can be seen at the Heritage Hotspot in ANNO City Museum Zwolle. Want to know more? Then visit the website www.anno.nl.
Text: Heritage Municipality of Zwolle, Vincent van der Veen
Images
- Fig. 1. Prehistoric antler tools from Spoolde. At the bottom an eye branch axe, above two types of base axe (Heritage Zwolle).
- Fig. 2. Drawing of the left antler of a red deer with the names of the different parts (former National Service for Archaeological Research).
