Casgliadau Arlein

This is a scapula that's been used as a scoop/shovel.

It is polished along the blade edge, which has become bevelled with wear. In places the blade edge has broken but the use and polishing has continued. There is also a small amount of wear on the upper end, probably from where the scapula was held. The edge is broken at the upper end at the place where the fingers would have curved around; again, these breaks are worn. There are four deep cut marks, now very worn and eroded, on the surface of the blade at right angles to the edge and three other short cut marks on the upper left side; these probably relate to meat removal.

Along the blade are numerous scratch marks, most of which run parallel to hte edge. This use wear suggests that the scapula was used as a shovel. Scapulae were commonly used as shovels in prehistory, as in the Neolithic flint mines in Sussex (Russel 2000) and on ritual sites such as Avebury (Keiller 1965). Experiments by Lane Fox and the Curwens (Russell 2000) show that they were not very efficient but would save the hands from wear. This is a small and light scoop making it unlikely that it could have been used to shovel soil, but was perhaps a scoop for other smaller materials.

Presumably subsequent to use the bone appears to have snapped off at the upper end, which is perhaps the reason why it was discarded.

It was then chewed by a dog at the lower end and side and on the lower left side at right angles to the edge. There are deep canine bites in both ends, one of which has cracked the bone, and gnawing of the flatter areas and the epiphysis.

In conclusion; light wear shows it was held at the upper end and heavy wear along the blade edge indicates that was used for scooping. The scapula broke at the upper end. It was later gnawed at by a dog.