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Scapulae – Kultgeräte, Werkzeuge oder Votivgaben?

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Elkowicz D.

Études et Travaux (Institut des Cultures Méditerranéennes et Orientales de l’Académie Polonaise des Sciences)

2014

issue 27

121–127

The paper attempts to show the chronology, regional distribution and function of notched animal scapulae (shoulder blades). Before the Iron Age, notched animal scapulae appear only sporadically in the southern Levant: in the Upper Palaeolithic Hayonim Cave; at Neolithic Atlit Yam and Jericho; and at the Chalcolithic site of Tell Turmus, and they are totally absent in the Bronze Age sites. Notched scapulae appear mostly in the Iron Age I and the largest group of these objects found in Palestine comes from Ekron. At least one example was found in a residential area of Ashkelon. Three notched scapulae were found at Tel Dor, although none in a clear stratified context. An incised scapula was found also in Tel Kinrot. The four Tell es-Safi/Gath scapulae, which date to the Iron Age IIA, are the latest in the sequence. Some scholars believe that notched scapulae were used in divination rites of scapulomancy or omoplatoscopy; others authors suggest that notched scapulae were used as musical instruments – as rasps or scrapers. Others still proposed that these artifacts were used for account-keeping of commodities produced for cultic use or brought to the cultic place as offerings or taxes. Another option is that they were used as a part of a loom. Since the exact function and meaning of scapulae is difficult to ascertain, a new hypothesis concerning their function is proposed: because many of them were found in cultic context, it is possible that they could have been used as votive objects.

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1 Études et Travaux (Institut des Cultures Méditerranéennes et Orientales de l’Académie Polonaise des Sciences)

1 Elkowicz D.

1 2014

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Scapulae – Kultgeräte, Werkzeuge oder Votivgaben?