The bone industry is that industry that produces tools whose raw material is organic, that is, those made of bone, antler (horn) or ivory. Due to their chemical nature, they present a lower degree of conservation than lithic industries. The bone tools that have been preserved today are those that have remained buried in favorable conditions. Possibly in prehistory, different utensils made of wood, tree bark, rope, skin, bird feathers, hair, etc. have been made, but they have disappeared. Only a few fragments of wood have been preserved with traces of having been made by humans such as spears, poles or shafts topped with stone or bone points. Some wood fragments have been dated to the Lower Paleolithic, but their archaeological discovery is exceptional.[1]​.

Organic materials do not have the hardness of stone when making a tool. However, they are much more malleable and flexible, which allows them to be used for other activities. They allow, therefore, to carry out techniques that are difficult to make with stone, such as cutting, drilling, incising or polishing. Furthermore, bone materials allow certain marks to be made on their surface, as well as the development of artistic manifestations, such as movable art from the Upper Paleolithic.

During the Lower Paleolithic and Middle Paleolithic, humans made little use of bones to make tools, as demonstrated by the materials preserved in archaeological finds. There are bones broken intentionally by man, but they cannot be considered useful. These bone findings are called poorly worked bone.

It is during the Upper Paleolithic and later times when true bone instruments with well-defined types appear, to such an extent that when they appear they are called in some strata director fossil since they define a certain cultural area.

Contenido

Los tipos básicos de instrumental óseo paleolítico y mesolítico son los siguientes:.

Punches

An awl is a pointed object commonly used to pierce or work materials such as wood or leather. Bone punches are aimed at any bone remains. The amount of polish used, the preparation method, and the size of these objects can vary considerably. Punches are usually classified according to the characteristics of the bone used. Many retain the epiphysis or rounded end of the bone. Although some authors have different hypotheses about the use of these tools, the two main uses on which there is agreement are basketry work and piercing animal skin.[3]​.