Interpretation of Middle Bronze Age Bone Pins Discovered at the Üçhöyük Excavations

This article aims to describe the typology of a group of Middle Bronze Age bone pins uncovered during excavations at the Üçhöyük settlement in western Anatolia and determine their intended uses. In the Middle Bronze Age in Anatolia, bone pins appeared in a wide variety of applications, such as sewing, weaving, knitting, leatherworking, basketry and wickerwork, fastening clothing, and gathering hair. The areas of use of bone pins provide important information about the period’s production activities, fashion, and traditions. It is clear that the finds in our possession were produced for similar purposes. The standard types of bone pins found at Üçhöyük, dated between the late 3rd millennium BC and the 17th century BC, indicate the existence of workshops where the bones were produced and reveal that the manufacturers specialized in tool making and weaving. Metal pins found alongside bone pins in the Üçhöyük excavations and other abundant evidence related to weaving support this conclusion. N+ew excavations at this important Middle Bronze Age settlement will lead to a greater variety of bone finds and, consequently, to an increase in our knowledge of social and economic life.