Spatula
Fish scaling and hide preparation
Grotte Rey type, Dordogne
Magdalenian
21 000 to 14 000 years
Tool cut from a thin, flat bone, composed of a wide part and a handle of variable length. They were likely used to work hides.
Y. Taborin, A. Leroi-Gourhan, Dictionnaire de la Préhistoire, P.U.F, Paris, 1988
Commentary :
A spatula is a long flat object made from bone or reindeer antler. The handle often resembles the body of a fish and is decorated with a fine engraving or simple sketch.The working end is elongated, and terminates in a rounded spatula form, which has a smooth edge that is never sharp.The general forms of spatulas and associated traces of use suggest, the repetitive and precise working of soft organic materials, such as in the preparation of hides, scraping fat, or scaling fish.