Special Issue: Current Studies on Archaeological Worked Bone Heritage
Message from the Guest Editors
A growing number of differently oriented studies have focused on historical and prehistoric artefacts made of osseous raw materials. Microscopic analysis is used for conducting technological research, allowing for the reconstruction of the chaîne opératoire of various types of artefacts from the raw materials in question. Complicated functional (use-wear) research is also carried out to interpret ancient bone tools’ functions. A complementary aspect of traceological research is the identification of residues on bone tools to provide clues as to how various types of organic and inorganic raw materials were processed. These analyses are now carried out using not only stereo optical and metallographic microscopes but increasingly also more advanced imaging techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal microscopy, microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), optical coherence tomography (OCT), etc.
Topics may include:
New methods and research tools in studies of bone artefacts;
Technological and functional studies on collections of prehistoric and historical bone products;
Taphonomy in the study of ancient bone industries;
Residues analysis in the studies of osseous artefacts.
Guest Editors
Dr. Grzegorz Osipowicz
Department of Prehistory, Institute of Archeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
Dr. Justyna Orlowska
Department of Prehistory, Institute of Archeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026
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