Journal of Archaeology in the Low Countries 3-1 (November 2011)Wietske Prummel; Hülya Halici; Annemieke Verbaas: The bone and antler tools from the Wijnaldum-Tjitsma terp 1

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8 The bone and antler tools from Wijnaldum-Tjitsma compared with those from other terpen in Friesland and Groningen

8.1 Roman period

The quantities of bone and antler tools in Frisian and Groningen terpen, including Wijnaldum-Tjitsma, are low in proportion to the total numbers of animal remains (table 7; fig. 35). The area excavated at most of these terpen is comparable with that of the Roman phase of Wijnaldum-Tjitsma. The area of the Paddepoel excavation was, however, much larger, which explains the large number of finds (table 7).

Figure 35 Location of the terpen discussed in the text. 1. Wijnaldum-Tjitsma, 2. Achlum, 3. Dongjum, 4. Dronrijp, 5. Sneek, 6. Hoxwier, 7. Jelsum, 8. Hallum, 9. Leeuwarden-Oldehoofsterkerkhof, 10. Oosterbeintum, 11. Birdaard-Roomschotel, 12. Anjum-Terpsterweg, 13. Englum, 14. Wierum, 15. Paddepoel.

No worked or used bones were found at Hallum (Buitenhuis 2009), Birdaard-Roomschotel (Grefhorst & Prummel 2010) and Wierum (Prummel 2006). The only worked bone from Dongjum is a part of a sheep metatarsus of unknown function (GIA unpublished). A cattle metatarsus from Dronrijp shows the same type of wear as those in Wijnaldum-Tjitsma (Halici 2003, 46).

Table 7 Numbers of bone and antler tools found in the Roman, Migration and Early Medieval phases at terpen in Friesland and Groningen, with the total numbers of remains (total nisp: unworked and worked; for Wijnaldum-Tjitsma, however, only the numbers of identified mammal remains are given, because of the many small unidentified bone fragments (compare table 3), which would made the comparison with the other sites impossible) and the proportions of worked bone/antler. No total number of identified mammal remains is given for the Oosterbeintum site because the site is a cemetery and the bone and antler tools are grave goods.

Roman period	fibers/skin	personal utensils	amulets	musical instruments	household utensils	transport	waste/unfinished/unknown function	total worked bone/antler	total nisp	% worked
Wijnaldum-Tjitsma	1	-	8	-	2	-	1	12	718	1,7
Dongjum	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	476	0,2
Dronrijp	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	696	0,1
Hoxwier	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	144	2,8
Hallum	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	594	0,0
Leeuwarden-Oldehoofsterkerkhof	3	-	-	-	-	-	1	4	469	0,9
Birdaard-Roomschotel	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	92	0,0
Sneek	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	2	167	1,2
Paddepoel	34	-	-	-	2	-	6	42	2196	1,9
Wierum	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	2	0,0
Englum	14	-	1	-	2	-	2	19	1413	1,3

Migration period	fibers/skin	personal utensils	amulets	musical instruments	household utensils	transport	waste/unfinished/unknown function	total worked bone/antler	total nisp	% worked
Wijnaldum-Tjitsma	9	24	5	-	1	2	6	47	623	7,5
Dongjum	1	1	-	-	-	1	-	3	410	0,7
Hallum	-	2	-	-	1	-	-	3	39	7,7
Englum	-	-	-	1	-	2	-	3	225	1,3

Early middle ages (Merovingian, Carolingian and Ottonian periods)	fibers/skin	personal utensils	amulets	musical instruments	household utensils	transport	waste/unfinished/unknown function	total worked bone/antler	total nisp	% worked
Wijnaldum-Tjitsma	47	70	11	4	7	13	11	163	3878	4,2
Dongjum	-	1	-	-	-	1	1	3	489	0,6
Hallum	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	2	268	0,7
Oosterbeintum (cemetery)	4	10	8	-	-	-	-	22
Leeuwarden-Oldehoofsterkerkhof	2	4	1	-	-	6	2	15	2298	0,7
Wierum	-	-	-	-	-	-	16	16	147	10,9
Englum	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	3	155	1,9

The inhabitants of Hoxwier only used bone tools for fibre and skin working, as attested to by three worn and shiny horse and cattle metapodia and a shiny cattle costa fragment worn at both ends (Nieuwhof & Prummel 2007). The latter is regularly found in terpen but was not found at Wijnaldum-Tjitsma. A large number of them was found in the German terp Feddersen Wierde (1st century BC-5th century AD; Reichstein 1991, 311; Struckmeyer in press), where they are interpreted as fibre or skin working tools, but might have been used to smooth clay (Struckmeyer in press) or as household utensils (scraper).

The worked bones from the Roman period phase of Leeuwarden-Oldehoofsterkerkhof comprise a bone needle made from a pig fibula, two worn and shiny cattle metacarpi and a red deer cranium fragment with sawn antler base (Prummel 2011). The bone tools found in Sneek are a dice made from a sheep metatarsus and a horse phalanx one-sided comb? with point-circles (Clason 1962).

The majority of the bone tools from the late Iron Age to Roman period terpen Paddepoel I, II and III are fibre and skin working tools. They are worn cattle costa fragments, spindle whorls, an awl and metapodia used as polishers. Two perforated horse phalanges were identified as toys, but might be amulets (Knol 1983, 172-173). All Roman bone tools at Englum are connected to fibre and skin working: worn and shiny cattle and horse metapodia, costa fragments similar to the Hoxwier and Paddepoel ones, a worn cattle tibia fragment and a worn part of a cattle scapula (Prummel 2008).

Fibre/skin working tools are thus numerous at most of the Roman period terpen. Amulets and household utensils that were common at Wijnaldum-Tjitsma in the Roman period are rare in other Roman period terpen. Personal utensils and skates/sledge runners are lacking. They were unknown at the Frisian and Groningen terpen in the Roman period.