Roman Bone Tool from a Craft Workshop Culture: Roman Empire Date: 1st–4th century AD Material: Worked animal bone Dimensions: Length 82 mm Weight: 120 g Description Solid worked bone object carved from a long bone of a large mammal. The piece shows intentional shaping through abrasion and scraping, with a regular external profile and a lateral perforation deliberately executed after the main shaping phase. Its compact proportions and substantial weight exclude ornamental or domestic use. The morphology is consistent with functional bone implements documented in Roman artisanal and urban workshop contexts, where bone was widely employed for the manufacture of auxiliary tools and technical fittings. Objects of this type are interpreted as pressure elements, puncheons, spacers or working tools associated with specialized craft activities (bone-working, leather-working or mixed artisanal production). Comparable examples are known from Roman workshop assemblages, particularly in urban centres, where bone tools formed part of the operational equipment rather than finished consumer objects. Condition Complete and stable. Surface wear and minor abrasions consistent with age and use. No restorations. Provenance: French private collection, assembled before 1970. References: Bustamante-Álvarez, M. & Detry, C., Bone-working activities in Roman urban workshops: evidence from Augusta Emerita, Zephyrus, 83, 2019, pp. 157–176. MacGregor, A., Bone, Antler, Ivory and Horn: The Technology of Skeletal Materials since the Roman Period, London, 1985.