A large number of Stone Age tools have been found at the Pulli settlement near Sindi in Pärnu County, dating to roughly 9000-8550 BCE, the Mesolithic period. According to archaeologist Heidi Luik of Tallinn University, unlike later Neolithic settlements where ceramic artifacts are abundant, most of the finds at Pulli are made from flint, other stone, bone and antler. "People used a great variety of materials, but not all of them preserve in the soil," she noted on the science program "Labor."

Over the years, several items have been unearthed at Pulli whose function remains unknown to this day. These objects are of particular interest to researchers, as they may offer clues about materials that have not survived. Among them are the beveled-edge tools made primarily from moose bone that were the focus of the current study.

According to Luik, these tools have sometimes been labeled chisels, but that may not be an accurate classification, as the wear marks on them do not match damage typically seen on woodworking tools. Polish researchers came to the same conclusion based on microscopic analysis of the wear patterns.

To determine the purpose of these tools, Polish archaeologists Grzegorz Osipowicz and Justyna Orlowska turned to experimental archaeology. They crafted replicas of the tools and used them in various tasks, carefully observing what kinds of wear marks developed when working with different materials.

Luik explained that although modern tools are used to cut out the blanks for these replicas, the blade itself is finished using Stone Age techniques. "The cutting edge is shaped using tools that would have been available in the Stone Age, such as those made from flint," she said.

In their tests, the researchers used the replica tools to work with materials including meat, animal hide, wood and tree bark. They then compared the resulting wear marks to those on the original artifacts from Pulli. The tools did not prove suitable for processing meat or hide, at least not in a way that produced the same kind of wear as seen on the Pulli specimens.

The wear patterns most closely matched those that resulted from stripping pine bark. The research team expanded their analysis to other tree species, such as alder and birch, based on pollen data. However, removing the bark from these trees produced different types of scratches. The researchers also experimented with wood at different stages of drying. "Processing fresh, moist wood leaves one kind of trace, while older or drier wood leaves another," Luik explained.

According to the archaeologist, pine bark had a wide range of uses in ancient times. For instance, it was used to make net floats that kept the top edge of fishing nets above water. However, it's also possible that the bark was used for other purposes, such as making tool handles or other household items.

Luik acknowledged that the study has its limitations. Archaeologists can only observe the wear left by the most recent use. "If the tool had been used for something else earlier, those traces may have been overwritten by the marks from its latest use. You can never be completely certain. It's possible the tool was used in a slightly different way, and that a different activity could leave similar traces," she said.

Although the recent study focused on a specific category of tool — Pulli-type bone implements with a beveled edge — Luik noted that other intriguing bone objects have also been found at the site, whose meanings are not yet fully understood. "This work is ongoing. We hope that microscopic analysis will also reveal more about Pulli and the Kunda settlement," Luik said.

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