Bone tools discovered in a 6,000-year-old rock shelter in southern Armenia have provided new insights into how Chalcolithic humans utilized animal remains. Researchers analyzed 40 artifacts, including tube-shaped objects whose functions remain unexplained, to investigate the production techniques of ancient bone craftsmanship and the animal species used.

The study, published in the journal  Archaeological Research in Asia, focuses on finds from the Yeghegis-1 rock shelter. An international research team, including Marina Évora and Mariya Antonosyan, combined traditional  archaeological examinations with a protein analysis method called ZooMS to identify the animals used in the production of the artifacts.

Six-Thousand-Year-Old Bones Undergo Scientific Analysis

Located in the Yeghegis River valley in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor region, Yeghegis-1 sits approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. Radiocarbon dating indicates that humans occupied this rock shelter between 4100 and 3500 BCE.

Excavations conducted between 2021 and 2024 revealed 40 bone artifacts, offering researchers an opportunity to examine ancient production traditions in the region. However, most of these pieces had lost the distinct anatomical features that would allow for immediate identification of the animal they came from.

To resolve this, the research team utilized ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry). This technique identifies the taxonomic origin of animals by analyzing the characteristic signatures of collagen proteins preserved in the bone. Using a highly limited sampling method that caused no visible damage to the surfaces, researchers successfully identified 39 of the 40 pieces.

The results revealed that 16 artifacts were made from goat, 11 from sheep, six from rabbit, one from gazelle, and two from pig or wild boar bones. Three other samples were identified only at broader animal group levels. These findings demonstrate that sheep and goats were significant not only for nutrition but also as sources of raw materials for tool production.

What Was the Purpose of the Mysterious Bone Tubes?

Among the most striking finds of the research are 19 tube-shaped bone artifacts. Similar in their long and narrow forms, some of these objects are unfinished. Traces of sawing, twisting, and abrasion were found on their surfaces.

Researchers believe these tubes were prepared following a specific production technique. However, why these objects were produced and for what purposes they were used has not yet been clarified.

Previous research on similar bone tubes has suggested various functions, such as musical instruments, containers, amulets, or personal ornaments. However, the study on the Yeghegis-1 finds does not confirm any of these possibilities. The fact that the artifacts are unfinished makes determining their intended use even more difficult.

The similarity in the shapes of the tubes may point to specific production habits. While researchers consider that this could be related to a specialized activity, they leave open the possibilities of local use, exchange, or abandonment before completion.

Were the Bone Tools Produced Within the Settlement?

Among the 40 examined artifacts, there are 23 unfinished pieces, 10 finished tools, four production scraps, and three raw or minimally processed bone fragments. The coexistence of materials representing different stages of production suggests that at least some phases of bone craftsmanship were carried out within the rock shelter.

The finds include pointed tools, smoothers, and pieces that may have been used to work different surfaces. It is possible that the pointed tools were used for activities such as leatherworking, weaving, basketry, or pottery decoration. However, researchers note that these functions must be verified through experimental studies.

Another detail concerns the production techniques. Marks observed on the bone surfaces suggest that stone tools were used for shaping. No distinct traces characteristic of metal tool use were detected in the examined objects.

This provides a local example showing that stone tools maintained their place in bone craftsmanship during the Chalcolithic period, even as metalworking was developing.

The Connection Between Animal Husbandry and Craft Production

Previous archaeozoological and isotope analyses at Yeghegis-1 had indicated that sheep and goat herding were central to the settlement’s economic activities. This new research reveals that the bones of these same animals were processed into various forms for tool production.

The study provides new comparative data for understanding the raw material choices of South Caucasian communities during the Chalcolithic Age. However, researchers emphasize that a collection of only 40 artifacts is not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions about the scale of production or regional trade relations.

Future experimental studies and more comprehensive analyses may help explain how the unfinished tube-shaped objects were produced and for what purposes they were prepared.

Évora, M., et al. (2026). Integrated technological and ZooMS analysis of late Chalcolithic osseous industry from Yeghegis-1 (Armenia).  Archaeological Research in Asia, 48, 100754.
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