I was planning to do a big post this weekend with all the #ArchInk submissions I haven't shared yet, but I thought this prompt from yesterday - "re-create" was too appropriate for all the stories I've shared today not to post now. . I was trying to show some of the tools and stages or creating a collection of replica bone needles, which I've been doing as part of the final project in my PhD. Here you can see a burin, a scraper, a pre-form roughout, and a finished needle. . To simplify the process as much as possible: First you want to cut the bone down to a roughly rectangular roughout. You then use the burin to cut grooves in this roughout to create the next stage of needle preform. But, you don't have to cut all the way through, but can use the "groove and split" approach where you cut most of the way through from both sides, and then split the remainder with a wedge. Once your final preform is free, you then use the burin to create the eye (the hole at the end), and then can use a scraper or blade to shape the final needle. Sometimes cultures also used grinding stones in this final shaping phase, and sometimes the needles were also polished before use. . It's a pretty straightforward process with bone. With the ivory needles, it took a lot longer and was much more effort, as the ivory is significantly harder than bone and doesn't have a nice hollow section with a marrow. There is some hollowness, but still creating a roughout from that was much more difficult than from a bone. . Have you ever made bone needles? What was your method? . #BoneNeedles #bone #ivory #IvoryNeedles #inktober #ExperimentalArchaeology #archaeology #archaeologist #ArchaeologistsOfInstagram #phdlife #painting #watercolours https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8znv1jiOK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
