Museum complex

Jewel made of hog's tusks

End of IV – beginning of III Millennium BC
The end of the Stone Age/Eneolithic
Volosovo Culture
Bone (lower tusk of a male hog)
14,5 х 2,3 cm; 14,5 х 2,5 cm; 18 х 3,5 cm; 14,3 х 3 cm
Receipt: excavations of the Historical Museum under the supervision of I.V. Klimkova and E.D. Kaverzneva, 1990, 1991.
Showcase 8

Paired jewels made of split lengthwise lower tusks of an adult male hog were found at two settlements of the end of the Stone Age in Ryazan Region. They were probably left for some purpose near the ancient fireside. Such products made of large tusks were widespread in prehistoric times in all parts of the world where hogs were hunted.

More information...

A pair of boar's tusks usually had holes or notches for attachment at both ends. Way of wearing could be different: on the neck as a necklace, on the sides of the head, on the chest. There are reasons to believe that these items at the end of the Stone Age in the Central part of the Russian plain were purely male adornments that could have symbolized the hunting or the military prowess of the owner, since the hog is an extremely aggressive and fast animal, which was considered quite an achievement to kill on the hunt.
Functional purpose: men's breast or head jewel, perhaps a hunting amulet.
Notice of uniqueness: quite rare finds for the end of the Stone Age forest zone of the Russian plain, only a few dozen of these items are known, most of them are in the wreckage.

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