On the Status of the Boar Tooth Artifact from the Backdirt of Vogelherd

Abstract

During the course of the excavations in the backdirt of Vogelherd in 2008, the crew recovered a tusk of a boar preserving clear signs of anthropogenic modification. In addition to the polishing that regularly occurs on tusks during the life of the animal, this specimen, showed signs of cut- ting, scraping and polish subsequent to the animal’s death. This artifact superficially resembles a Magdalenian female figurine with a triangular buttock and a stick-like torso, which led to the hypothesis that the find may be of Paleolithic origin and may be an artwork. Alternatively, the find was hypothesized to be an artifact of unknown function from the Holocene, based on the rarity of faunal remains of boar from the Paleolithic of the Swabian Jura. While the excavator always stressed the uncertainty related to the interpretation of the find, some colleagues ac- cepted the hypothesis that the find represented a Magdalenian female figurine. Thirteen years after its recovery, we have reexamined this artifact and conducted comparative studies that support the hypothesis that the find is of Holocene age. Based on similar finds, we conclude that, although the function of this class of artifact is not yet certain, this artifact is a Neolithic or Mesolithic tool with clear parallels in Germany, France and Switzerland. This class of artifact is rare in Central Europe, but our survey of Neolithic and Mesolithic publications allows us to reject the hypothesis, that this find represents a Magdalenian female figurine. This artifact, however, enriches the record of Holocene organic technology in southwestern Germany.