Bone tool
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Bone tools have been documented from the advent of Homo Sapiens and are also known from Homo Neanderthalis contexts. Bone is a ubiquitous material in hunter-gatherer societies even when other tool materials were scarce or unavailable. Any portion of animal or fish skeletons could potentially be utilized, however antlers and longbones provide some of the best working material. Longbone fragments can be shaped by scraping against an abrasive stone into such items as arrow and spear points, needles, awls, and fish hooks.
As an organic material, bone often does not survive in an archaeologicaly recoverable way. However, under the right conditions, bone tools do sometimes survive and many have been recovered from locations around the world representing time periods throughout history and prehistory. Also many examples have been collected ethnographicaly and some traditional peoples as well as experimental archaeologist continue to use bone to make tools.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution (when machine mass production of sharp tools became viable), many everyday tools such as needles were made from bone; such items continue to be valued today as antiques.
Bone folders are still used by bookbinders.
[edit] In popular culture
A fictional world of Athas, appearing in Dark Sun campaign by Timothy Brown and Troy Denning, has its natural resources depleted due to magical abuse and thus metal is very scarce. Civilization resorted to use of alternative materials for weapons and tools. Bone and wood are common.
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