The problem of functional determination of bone “needle cases” — case of swan long bones from the grave no. 12 in the Serovsky burial (Neolithic, Cis-baikal, excavations by A. P. Okladnikov)

Modified hollow-necked bird bones are common archaeological finds from the Upper Paleolithic to ethnographic modern times. Since needles are sometimes found in such artifacts, it is default to identify all similar finds as needle holders — cases for storing sewing implements. They can be used in at least three ways, not mutually exclusive: as cases (including needle cases), as sounding artifacts (flutes, hunting mallets), and as personal ornaments. The aim of the paper is to establish the problem of determining the function of artifacts from hollow long bones of birds identified as needle cases. The paper examines artifacts from processed swan long bones, a group of which was found in burial no. 12 of the Serovsky burial, Neolithic period in the Baikal region. By studying the 3D models, metric and quantitative data were obtained, based on which a comparative statistical analysis was carried out, showing significant metric differences within a group of so-called needle cases. The first cluster has close analogies to needle cases, hollow, long bird bones with needles inside, while the functions of the artifacts in the second cluster are still unresolved at this stage of the study. For the time being, it can be attributed to channeled sounding artifacts without finger holes.