Preliminary results of the analysis of red deer antlers and antler-made tools from the Eneolithic site of Brânzeni III-Țiganca (Edineț, Republic of Moldova)
Preliminary results of the analysis of red deer antlers and antler-made tools from the Eneolithic site of Brânzeni III-Țiganca (Edineț, Republic of Moldova)

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents the preliminary results of a quantitative analysis of red deer antler materials from the Eneolithic site of Brânzeni III-Țiganca (Republic of Moldova). The objective is to reveal the phenomenon of antler material selection and the degree of standardization in antler-made artefacts. Our study has uncovered a cohesive antler material procurement strategy and a clearly defined manufacturing process. Antler procurement primarily targeted antlers with a beam circumference exceeding 100 mm, and these antlers were relatively evenly distributed across size categories. Despite the diversity observed among the tools made of antler, discernible patterns of a well-defined manufacturing process emerge. Even though inherent variability in antler materials imposes certain limitations on standardization, many of the examined tools exhibit remarkable uniformity in the diameter of their hafting holes. Conversely, in smaller tools, the diameter of the hafting hole is thought fully adapted to the dimensions of the material workpiece. These observations highlight the presence of a coherent manufacturing process at Brânzeni III-Țiganca, likely indicative of specialized tool production within the community.

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