Bone tool from the early Neolithic site of Tartas-1

Fragments of a tool made of elk ’s shoulder blade were found during analysis of bone evidence from the southern periphery of the Early Neolithic layer at the Tartas-1 site. An intact item of similar kind was discovered in the complex of the Early Neolithic sanctuary at the Ust-Tartas-1 site. In both cases, these were cutting tools such as scythe or sickle, although these tools might have been multifunctional. Fragments of bone objects and intact items made of elk ’s shoulder blade widely appear among the evidence from the Urals peatlands and layers of the Mesolithic-Early Neolithic sites in the northern regions of European Russia. The authors of the excavations identified them as wide knives, wide knives made of shoulder blades, or wide knives made of elk ’s shoulder blades. Both items from Baraba had a shape of stylized bird which was identified as swan by the authors. The article describes the parameters of the item from Tartas-1 and its morphological features. The image of swan is well known from the mythology of many ethnic groups. For Northern Europe of the Early Neolithic, whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) along with other figures, serves as indicator of animal totemism, confirmed by finds of bones remaining from these birds in burials and its representations in rock art. However, swans do not often appear among the objects of plastic art. Along with elk and dog, images of swan played an important role in ritual practices of the Barabinskaya culture.