Broadening the Scope of Bone Anvils: Direct AMS¹⁴C Dating from the Island of Menorca (Western Mediterranean)

Abstract

This article presents the results of direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of a new bone anvil retrieved in the Iron Age–Roman site of Montefí (Ciutadella), in the southwest of the island of Menorca (western Mediterranean). The radiometric date confirms the chronology obtained through the stratigraphy and typological analysis of ceramics (1st–3rd century AD), and indicates that this bone-made tool not only represents the first archaeological anvil from the island but also constitutes the earliest evidence in the western Mediterranean. This ancient date is more consistent with the known eastern regional chronology and reinforces the importance of obtaining direct AMS 14C dates to refine artifact chronologies.

Información arqueológica y etnográfica sobre el uso de yunques de huesos en el caso de Mallorca (Islas Baleares, España)

“…The bone anvils presented here comprise the first evidence of this type of worked bone tool in the island of Mallorca, fulfilling an important geographic gap in the Balearic Islands (Valenzuela et al, 2017).…”

“…As mentioned above, it is likely that the first bone anvils in Mallorca could derive from the Roman period, mostly since one of these artefacts from the nearby island of Menorca has been recently 14C dated between the 1 st and 3 rd century AD (Valenzuela et al, 2017). However, this assumption remains open until local samples are discovered in a reliable Roman stratified context or the specimens from Pollentia are directly radiocarbon dated.…”

“…In the last few years, bone anvils have also been identified on islands of the Western Mediterranean such as Sardinia (Grassi, 2016) and Menorca (Valenzuela et al, 2017). Following the line of research initiated in the Balearic Islands, here we attempt to collect all the known bone anvils from Mallorca.…”

Один Тип Кістяних Артефактів З Ольвії Та Його Інтерпретація

“…28 , а другий -з Монтефі (о. Менорка, Іспанія) та датується між 24 і 213 рр. н.е., що співпадає з попереднім датуванням за супутнім археологічним матеріалам 29 .…”