Carved Reindeer Antler Uncovered in Poland

Carved Reindeer Antler Uncovered in Poland

GOŁĘBIEWO, POLAND—A carved piece of antler, unearthed in central Poland, may have originated in South Lapland some 10,000 years ago, according to a report in The International Business Times. Known as a bâton percé, the nearly 12-inch-long antler was carved with ten triangles filled with parallel lines along one side of a central groove. DNA analysis identified the object as a reindeer antler, while isotope analysis suggests the reindeer lived in either North Karelia or South Lapland. A team of researchers led by Grzegorz Osipowicz of Nicolaus Copernicus University suggests the antler could represent previously unknown contact between the hunter gatherers of the European Plains and southern Scandinavia. For more on archaeology of Scandinavia, go to “Letter From Norway: The Big Melt.”