La industria ósea sobre costillas de mamíferos del yacimiento calcolítico de Camino de las Yeseras (San Fernando de Henares, Madrid)

Abstract

Thousands of bone tools, mainly pointed artefacts, have been recovered from the different archaeological interventions carried out in the large Chalcolithic ditched enclosure of Camino de las Yeseras. They are frequent in pits of different sizes, ditches and, to a lesser extent, in huts and tombs. Generally mixed with other archaeological findings, such as pottery, lithic industry and faunal remains, appear only in selected structures in specific areas. In this paper we present the preliminary results of the characterization of a bone type that has received little attention to date: artefacts on mammalian ribs. This category also includes other mammalian bones that have a similar morphology to rib laminae, such as the spinous and transverse processes of the costal and lumbar vertebrae. Many rib artefacts show a low degree of anthropic modifications and therefore tend to go unnoticed in archaeozoological studies, unlike other easily identifiable types such as awls, chisels, handles or ornamental elements. The aim of this paper is to present a morphotypological proposal based on the study of around 150 artefacts from different site areas and contexts. Two main categories can be distinguished: simple tools and composite tools, both with various subtypes depending on their morphological characteristics and use. Despite being multi-functional tools, some types are related to specific activities, being more frequent and standardized than initially thought. It seems likely that not only for Camino de las Yeseras, but also for other Iberian Chalcolithic settlements, they may constitute a characteristic type in the bone artefact record.