Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch

In one of the Late Mesolithic graves at Skateholm, Sweden, dating from 5500–4800 BC, was buried a woman together with a newborn baby. Altogether 32 perforated wild boar (Sus scrofa) teeth, along with traces of red ochre pigment, were found in this grave. We interpreted these artefacts as a rattling...

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Main Authors: Riitta Raino, Annemies Tamboer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EXARC 2018-02-01
Series:EXARC Journal
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Online Access:https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10333
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author Riitta Raino
Annemies Tamboer
author_facet Riitta Raino
Annemies Tamboer
author_sort Riitta Raino
collection DOAJ
description In one of the Late Mesolithic graves at Skateholm, Sweden, dating from 5500–4800 BC, was buried a woman together with a newborn baby. Altogether 32 perforated wild boar (Sus scrofa) teeth, along with traces of red ochre pigment, were found in this grave. We interpreted these artefacts as a rattling ornament decorating a baby pouch of leather coloured with red ochre. We made an experimental reconstruction and found out that the tooth pendants rattle against one another when the pouch is carried, for example, rocked to and fro. The reconstruction currently is on display in the European Music Archaeology Project’s travelling exhibition on archaeological instruments.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2212-8956
language English
publishDate 2018-02-01
publisher EXARC
record_format Article
series EXARC Journal
spelling doaj-art-4f821540571645779f0dd4ecc85a4b272025-08-20T03:44:38ZengEXARCEXARC Journal2212-89562018-02-012018/1ark:/88735/10333Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby PouchRiitta RainoAnnemies TamboerIn one of the Late Mesolithic graves at Skateholm, Sweden, dating from 5500–4800 BC, was buried a woman together with a newborn baby. Altogether 32 perforated wild boar (Sus scrofa) teeth, along with traces of red ochre pigment, were found in this grave. We interpreted these artefacts as a rattling ornament decorating a baby pouch of leather coloured with red ochre. We made an experimental reconstruction and found out that the tooth pendants rattle against one another when the pouch is carried, for example, rocked to and fro. The reconstruction currently is on display in the European Music Archaeology Project’s travelling exhibition on archaeological instruments.https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10333funerarymusic and musical instrumentsmesolithicsweden
spellingShingle Riitta Raino
Annemies Tamboer
Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch
EXARC Journal
funerary
music and musical instruments
mesolithic
sweden
title Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch
title_full Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch
title_fullStr Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch
title_full_unstemmed Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch
title_short Animal Teeth in a Late Mesolithic Woman’s Grave, Reconstructed as a Rattling Ornament on a Baby Pouch
title_sort animal teeth in a late mesolithic woman s grave reconstructed as a rattling ornament on a baby pouch
topic funerary
music and musical instruments
mesolithic
sweden
url https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10333
work_keys_str_mv AT riittaraino animalteethinalatemesolithicwomansgravereconstructedasarattlingornamentonababypouch
AT annemiestamboer animalteethinalatemesolithicwomansgravereconstructedasarattlingornamentonababypouch