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Abstract

The physical structure of the shoulder blade (scapula) bone makes it ideal for producing large, flat and strong tools that were used in daily life activities, such as agriculture, the processing of skins and fibers, and writing tablets. We recognized three types of tools that were made from shoulder blades in the archaeological record from Yavne. One type is the Tarvad, a tool used as a scoop, usually associated with the olive oil industry, and recovered mainly from Jewish sites dated to the Roman period. The tarvad is usually made from a cattle scapula, whose neck is used as a handle. A second type is the writing tablets, usually made from a camel’s scapula and typically appearing in contexts of the Early Islamic period. These tablets are sometimes equipped with incised lines for writing and decorated with circle-and-dot motifs. They often have perforated holes that were used for stringing. The neck of the scapula is typically sawn off and occasionally, so is the scapula’s spine. The third tool-type is a new kind of working tool. Unlike the Tarvad, in this tool the neck of the scapula is sawn off and is not used as a handle. The spine is sometimes cut. In one instance, traces of lime-plaster were found on the tool’s working edge. This tool may have been used for smearing or polishing plaster, for skin processing or for a yet another unknown purpose. The tool appears in the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. Additional experiments are required to produce a comparative database for use-wear analysis that can be used in analyzing the tools and understanding their function, as well as to consider whether tools with similar morphology were used for the same tasks.

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