Identification of workshop activities by use-wear analysis

Abstract

Settlement features containing raw antler material at various stages of manufacturing are not uncommon in Germanic settlements. However, their connection with craft production and subsequent interpretation as workshops producing antler objects are often inferred a priori, without being based on a deeper analysis. Many years of research into a Germanic settlement from the late Roman period and the beginning of the Migration period at the Zlechov-Padělky site (Uherské Hradiště district), carried out in the second half of the 20th century, revealed several possible workshop features for the processing of antler material. The antler processing could be mainly related to the production of compound antler combs, which were typical during this period. Use­wear analyses supported by the results of a manufacturing experiment allowed us to base such interpretations on objective data. After evaluating aspects of the production process, it is possible to compare the Zlechov features with similar finding situations from other settlements of the studied period. This helps to clarify the degree of the organisation of production and distribution of compound antler combs in the 4th and 5th centuries in the barbarian territory.