VIEWS ON THE SYMBOLIC USE OF TWO RARE BONE FINGER DISTAFFS WITH DOG REPRESENTATION FROM HALUK PERK MUSEUM IN ISTANBUL

Ünal C., Çakmakçı Z.

JOURNAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY, vol.8, no.3, pp.135-147, 2021 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 8 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.14795/j.v8i3.651
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Page Numbers: pp.135-147
  • Keywords: bone, distaff, dog, Hecate, Haluk Perk Museum
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

There are various interpretations on the functions of bone finger distaffs, which are among the important artifacts produced in the ancient world. Some scholars argue that finger distaffs were a symbol of fidelity and virtue and presented to women as wedding gifts, while others daim that in addition to their purely symbolic value, they were used by women in the house to spin the wool yarn needed for weaving besides their symbolic meaning.