Bone Tools

Ever wondered what kind of artifacts could be made from animal bones? Dr. James Theler discusses how bones, antlers, and turtle shells were used by Native Americans to make many different tools such as awls, projectile points, bowls, ornaments, and musical instruments. Check the timestamps below to see the different kinds of tools.

Dr. James Theler is an MVAC Senior Research Associate and a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Here’s what the video covers, and some links for further information:

Timecodes
00:00
00:06 – Introduction
00:45 – Antler Working and Examples of Artifacts
05:43 – Projectile Points
07:51 – Deer Mandibles
09:42 – Awls
13:05 – Beaver Incisors
14:42 – Turtle Shells
16:42 – Bird Bone Implements
17:57 – Rasps
19:41 – Closing

-Link to 3D images of bone tools: https://sketchfab.com/danderson4/coll... (MVAC collection) and https://sketchfab.com/danderson4/coll... (Bone Artifacts collection) (3D scans courtesy Dr. David A. Anderson, Associate Professor, UWL, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology.)

-Bison Scapula Hoes by Dr. James Theler – MVAC Lab – MVAC Video on YouTube with a focus on a specific type of bone tool—hoes made from bison shoulder bones:    • Bison Scapula Hoes by Dr. James Thele...  

-Search the Artifacts page of MVAC’s website for examples of bone tools: https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/past-cultu...

Artifact Identification
Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse works mainly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and can provide information related to that region. If you would like information on artifacts, email a description of the item and where it was found, and attach a picture of the artifact with a scale to show its size. For more information visit MVAC’s website at: https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/contact/.

For information on other regions, we suggest contacting the appropriate state archaeologist from the following list: https://sites.google.com/view/state-a....