Archaeological evidence of a pre-industrial worked bone activity in 18th-century Seville, Spain.

Archaeological evidence of a pre-industrial worked bone activity in

18th-century Seville, Spain

López Aldana, P. (1)

Moreno-García, M. (2)

Pajuelo Pando, A. (1)

Pimenta, C. (2)

Ruas, J.P. (2)

(worked bone photos)

(1) University of Seville, Spain

(2) Laboratório de Arqueozoologia, IGESPAR, I.P. Lisbon, Portugal

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2007

San Luis St., 93 (Plaza de Pumarejo), Seville

(SPAIN)

San Luis St., 93 (Plaza de Pumarejo), Seville in 18th -century

Excavations between April –

July 2004

S.U. 28

S.U. 31

S.U. 31 well

S.U. 28 blind drain

Internal diameter 60 cm

31

28

Scarce archaeological material

Some pottery dated to the end 17th beginnings 18th-centuries

One finished bone object

San Luis 93, Seville, S.U. 31

Worked bone debris assemblage

of 1055 items

Pottery dated to the end 17th

-

beginnings 18th

centuries

Few faunal remains from food

refuse (219 NISP)


Characterize the worked bone debris

assemblage

Recognize the working phases:

manufacturing process

Tools used

What the finished artefacts were

AIMS OF THE STUDY



Blanks:

28 cattle MTPS

Sawn

transversally at

the distal (&

proximal) end

Group 1


2 straight bone

strips longitudinally

cut

Their surface was

faceted with the aid

of an adze or a knife

Group 2


The central

part of the

multifaceted

strips was

transversally

sawn

Group 3


The spongy ends of the bone, corresponding to the epiphysis, were

discarded


972 refuse fragments

92% of the assemblage


17 present transversal saw cuts

Group 4


10 cylinders of ~1 cm

Belong to the central part of the blank

Sawn upper and lower surfaces

Multifaceted on the sides

Group 5


2 cylinders of ~1cm

Pierced on one side

with a drill

Group 6


19 cylinders of ~1 cm

With double perforation

Ready to be turned on a

lathe

Group 6

Group 6


Few finished items

3 pierced beads?

Global,

subspherical form,

flat on one side

2 pinheads?

OBSERVATIONS


The assemblage was disposed in the blind drain in a single

episode

Bone debris of very homogeneous characteristics

Occurrence of multifaceted cylindrical pieces of small

dimension indicates a large number of items of the same kind

were ready to be produced

Lack of finished objects

Preparation of the bone surface and the single/double central

perforation suggest these fragments were to be worked on a lathe

Large abundance of non workable bone fragments:

1019 blank ends vs. 31 blank central fragments

Rosary beads maker (France, 18th

-century)

Encyclopedia of Trades and Industry , Diderot, 1771

Group 2

Historical information from European bead-cutting refuse assemblages

German paternosterer at

work, from 1484

Until 15th

-century. Small scale production.

Bow lathe was in use

From 16th

-century onwards. Continual

rotation lathes are used. Streamlined

process. Mass-production

Rosary beads maker (France, 18th

-century).

Encyclopedia of Trades and Industry , Diderot, 1771

SOME NUMBERS:

How many beads could have resulted from the San Luis St. refuse

bone assemblage?

989 blank ends / 2 = 494,5 strips

+ 2 complete strips

496,5 strips

Strips would measure between 12-15 cm but their useful central part

could be ~10 cm

Length of prepared central cylinders in the sample was aprox. <1cm

From each strip 10 cylinders could have been cut

496,5 x 10= 4965 cylinders

A Rosary has 59 beads

4965 beads / 59 in a rosary = 84 rosaries

Seville in 18th-century

Popular movement of opposition

to the static religion practised in

churches and chapels

Religious phenomenon: “Popular

Rosaries” were celebrated in the

streets at several times during the

day

In different quarters of the city

the neighbours created informal

associations of devotees

Popular congregations were born

(Rosary guilds) from which the

religious brotherhoods (“cofradías”)

that exist today were created

The bone assemblage recovered from the blind drain (SU 28)

at San Luis St. (Seville) may be identified mainly with refuse of

bead cutting

The few pierced bone small cylinders suggest these were

pieces prepared to be turned on a lathe

In 18th-century Seville there was an enormous increase in

Rosary praying

It is not a large debris assemblage

Occasional refuse from a local artisan

CONCLUSIONS

THANK YOU!

Archaeological evidence of a pre-industrial worked bone activity in 18th-century Seville, Spain.

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