Shark teeth used as tools: An experimental archaeology study

Gilson, Simon-Pierre; St-Pierre, Christian Gates; Lominy, Martin; Lessa, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102733

Cited by 9 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Similar flaking damage was produced through impact and piercing actions observed in reproduction experiments of tiger shark teeth (Becker & Chamberlain 2012; see OSM Figure S5). This use-wear is thus consistent with piercing, cutting and scraping of flesh and bone (Gilson et al 2021).…”

Section: The Toalean Tiger Shark-tooth Artefactssupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Results are comparable with patterns of use-wear reported from the experimental use of shark teeth as arrowheads and cutting, piercing, scraping and sawing tools (Gilson et al . 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2009) that experimental reconstructions have shown to be important for the stable hafting of the teeth (Gilson et al . 2021). The presence of a damaged plant fibre adhering to the red stained area just above the basal ledge (Figure 5) gives an indication of the type of ligature used.…”

Section: The Toalean Tiger Shark-tooth Artefactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Residue analysis of the tip found collagen structures, which, together with the use-wear present, indicates that this tool is likely to have been used for piercing, cutting and scraping fresh flesh and bone, consistent with the experimental results from the pork butchery (Gilson et al . 2021).…”

Section: The Toalean Tiger Shark-tooth Artefactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shark-tooth artefacts from middle Holocene Sulawesi

Langley,

Duli,

Stephenson

et al. 2023

Antiquity

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Although first identified 120 years ago, knowledge of the Toalean technoculture of Middle Holocene Sulawesi, Indonesia, remains limited. Previous research has emphasised the exploitation of largely terrestrial resources by hunter-gatherers on the island. The recent recovery of two modified tiger shark teeth from the Maros-Pangkep karsts of South Sulawesi, however, offers new insights. The authors combine use-wear and residue analyses with ethnographic and experimental data to indicate the use of these artefacts as hafted blades within conflict and ritual contexts, revealing hitherto undocumented technological and social practices among Toalean hunter-gatherers. The results suggest these artefacts constitute some of the earliest archaeological evidence for the use of shark teeth in composite weapons.

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Section: The Toalean Tiger Shark-tooth Artefactssupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Results are comparable with patterns of use-wear reported from the experimental use of shark teeth as arrowheads and cutting, piercing, scraping and sawing tools (Gilson et al . 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Toalean Tiger Shark-tooth Artefactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Toalean Tiger Shark-tooth Artefactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shark-tooth artefacts from middle Holocene Sulawesi

Langley,

Duli,

Stephenson

et al. 2023

Antiquity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In archaeology, experimentation has been used in many types of disciplines, from replication of use wear, zooarchaeology, taphonomy, pottery, to butchering experimentation [36][37][38][39][40]. In the field of transport experimentation, the contributions are very few, and rather refer to experiments in nature [41] or to the production of micro-traces by animal trampling, for example [42].…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Development of Transport Percussion Marks on Obsidian Clasts, Pilauco Site, Chilean Northwestern Patagonia

et al. 2022

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In the Pilauco site (40°34′11″ S, 73°06′17″ W; 13,570 ± 70–12,540 ± 90 14C year BP), a previous geochemical trace analysis suggested that the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex is the most likely source for obsidian and dacitic glass artifacts at Pilauco. It was hypothesized that the glassy rocks were probably collected from a pebble beach deposit, as deduced by the presence of crescentic percussion marks on the artefact cortexes. An experimental study was designed using pebble obsidian clasts. Bidirectional transport produced by the waves on a beach was imitated by an oscillating table, using time lapses equivalent to a transport of 0.7 to 20 km. One hundred clasts were randomly selected and marked. The morphological changes were registered, measured and photographed after seven sequential runs. At the end of the experiment at 20 km, the mass loss of rounded and fractured clasts was 5% and 11%, respectively. Crescent, circular, pseudo-circular and irregular percussion marks occurred in both types of clasts. In all cases, the crescent marks developed a pseudo-frosted surface appearance, giving a whiter tone that masks the black color of the obsidian, exactly as observed in the cortex of the artifacts knapped in dacitic glass at the Pilauco site. Thus, it is highly probable that the vitreous material was obtained from a beach sourced by the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex.

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An assessment of bone tool cleaning procedures in preparation for traceological analysis

Mateo-Lomba

Fernández-Marchena

Cazalla

et al. 2022

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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The preparation of samples for traceological analysis is a key methodological aspect in the correct interpretation of use-wear; however, it is often poorly reflected in the archaeological literature. The treatment of osseous tissues is particularly overlooked, and receives even less attention than lithic raw materials. The presence of residues and contaminants on the surface of artefacts can conceal or even be mistaken for use-wear features, thereby affecting their interpretation. Therefore, the objective of this work is to contribute to the systematization of cleaning protocols and the preparation of experimental bone tools for traceological analysis. Through a sequential experiment, we tested the effects of different cleaning agents on experimental samples. Microscopic observation of the samples was complemented with microhardness testing. Our results made it possible to evaluate the cleaning effectiveness of the tested products, to determine how each product affects the bone surface at a microscopic level, and to assess the effects of these products on the treated bone tools in terms of cutting performance.

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Shark teeth used as tools: An experimental archaeology study

Cited by 9 publications

References 18 publications

Shark-tooth artefacts from middle Holocene Sulawesi

Shark-tooth artefacts from middle Holocene Sulawesi

Experimental Development of Transport Percussion Marks on Obsidian Clasts, Pilauco Site, Chilean Northwestern Patagonia

An assessment of bone tool cleaning procedures in preparation for traceological analysis

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