Worked Animal Bone of the Neolithic North Aegean

The Neolithic (7000-5000 BCE) of the North Aegean - comprising western Turkey, northern and central Greece, and the north Aegean islands - saw an influx of new subsistence strategies into an already established region. Worked animal bone, including tools and objects, was one element of the prehistoric toolkit that was consistently created, used, and discarded by North Aegean communities to support their new agricultural way of life. This study, a comparative analysis of almost 100 sites, furthers our understanding of Neolithic North Aegean worked animal bone assemblages through a series of research questions drawn from evidence in published reports and new research which have burgeoned in the last two decades. Results from this research reveal how bone was transformed into tools and objects and in what ways they were used in everyday activities, such as textile manufacture, hide preparation, and pottery moulding. An emphasis on the important symbolic role worked bone played during special events and their interaction with this intricate landscape is also stressed, highlighting the complexity of the region and the period.