Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
inch, and from nearly ¼ inch to about ⅛ inch diameter. [Illustration:
Figs. 230, 231.—Bone Needles from Broch of Burrian (actual size).] These
have evidently been used in pegging slips of bone or wood, and several
slips of bone, about 3½ inches in length, convex on one side and flat on
the other, occur among the relics, two of them having the pegs still in
the holes. There are also a large number of shaped pieces of bone and
deer-horn which might have served as the handles of small
implements—hafts of knives, and suchlike. Among the smaller objects of
bone there are several button-like articles, one apparently the half of
a square-shaped stud or button of ivory with a small hole for the shank
discoloured by oxide of iron, and two others made from short sections of
the shank-bone of a sheep. One of these has the iron shank still in the
hole. Akin to these in the manner of their formation are several playing
dice, manufactured from sheep [Illustration: Fig. 232.—One of a set of
Dice made from a sheep shank-bone found in the Broch of Burrian (actual
size).] shank-bones. They are simple sections of the shank-bone 1⅝ inch
in length, with one or more of the sides rubbed smooth and marked with
the customary numbers in the shape of dots and circles. The one here
figured (Fig. 232) is ground smooth on one side, on which there are six
points; on the convexity of the bone there are five points; on the
naturally flattened side of the bone (which is broken) there are no
markings to be seen at the ends, but the centre portion shows one
marking. The second example has only one side of the bone remaining,
which shows four points. The surface of the bone has scaled off the
third example, and obliterated the numbers.[88] Among the miscellaneous
articles of bone to which no definite use can be assigned, although they
are obviously tools or implements intended for special purposes, there
is one (Fig. 233), strongly made of a roughly cut bone, having a rounded
point with two grooves cut in it so as to have prominent parallel ridges
between and on either side of them. [Illustration: Fig. 233.—Tool of
Bone found in the Broch of Burrian (actual size).] Among the objects of
personal use are sixteen combs, most of them more or less broken, but
several still in a fair state of preservation. [Illustration: Fig.
234.—Round-backed Comb of Bone from Broch of Burrian (half actual
size).] [Illustration: Fig. 235.—Double-edged Comb of Bone from Broch of
Burrian (half actual size).] One is round-backed and single-edged (Fig.
234), measuring 3 inches by 2 inches, the back pierced with three
triplets of small holes, and ornamented with a profusion of dots and
circle markings. It is formed of five thin slips of bone laid together
lengthwise, and held in their places by two slips laid transversely
across them on opposite sides, and fastened by four iron rivets. The
teeth of the comb have been very regularly cut by a fine saw, and the
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