ARCHAEOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF TWO DECORATED BONE PINS FROM POLAND REVEALS EARLY BRONZE AGE COMBINATION OF CRAFTS

Abstract This paper presents the conclusions of an archaeometric study on two unique artefacts associated with the Early Bronze Age (EBA) Mierzanowice culture (MC) of south-eastern Poland. Two decorated animal bone pins were found in sepulchral context, each accompanying the skeletal remains of a young woman. Based on previous use-wear analysis, the artefacts are interpreted as clothing pins. Their main characteristic is a geometric decorative pattern in the form of incisions and grooves, filled with a dark, grainy substance. Additionally, one of the pins has a distinct green colouration, which extends over uneroded areas of the surface. An array of imaging and spectrometric techniques was employed to investigate both the inlay and the green staining. While the colouration appears to be post-depositional, the dark substance, identified as fine-grained quartz (possibly raw faience paste) mixed with a black, soot-based pigment (bistre) of adhesive properties, was intentionally applied to the surface of both artefacts. This finding reveals a broad range of skills employed by the craftsperson to manufacture the objects. EBA was a time of emerging specialisation and social stratification, during which local artisans worked within a micro-region producing ‘special’ items that were both functional and socially meaningful.