What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions ‘ivory’? Perhaps you will think of a cruel trade that was banned in 1975. Or maybe you will imagine objects that were made before ivory was outlawed: the keys on an old family piano or the handles of well-worn cutlery, perhaps. Such artefacts belong to the peak ‘industrial’ use of elephant ivory in the 18th and 19th centuries, when large quantities of the material were in circulation and it was not uncommon in European homes. Looking further back in time to Late Antiquity (the 3rd to 8th centuries AD), many people’s views will be informed by museum displays that often highlight ivory’s use in elite objects – especially religious carvings such as crosses, ornate boxes, and ceremonial diptychs. Focusing on such artefacts emphasises past associations of ivory with high-status goods and people, at a time when it was seemingly far scarcer in Europe. Even so, new research is revealing how this material also played a quiet, practical role in the everyday lives of people inhabiting regions that run all of the way from eastern England to the shores of the Indian Ocean. Contrary to traditional views of ivory only being available as a raw material for the elites, it was exploited by a broader range of people in communities across the ancient world.
Perhaps one of the most interesting places to explore the hidden life of elephant ivory in Late Antiquity is north of the Alps. One of the authors, Rowan English, dedicated part of his doctoral research to collecting all available evidence for the presence of ivory rings in graves dating to the post-Roman period in north-western Europe. These sturdy circular frames were used to hold open drawstring pouches that were worn at the waist, and served as something like a cross between a modern trouser pocket and a handbag. The ivory rings were cut from the base of an elephant tusk, which is naturally hollow at its core. This structure – similar to human teeth – was ideal for crafting ring-shaped objects without any need for extra carving or materials. Rather than undertake the labour required to create comparable bag frames from metal or wood, the natural form of the tusks could simply be put to use.
The bags themselves were made from textile or leather, and often incorporated metal fittings and fastenings, making them quite complex objects. Plenty of archaeological evidence exists for the study of these objects. The large, early medieval cemetery at Lauchheim, Baden- Württemberg, Germany, for example, contained bags fabricated from a range of materials, including leather, canvas, wool, and even one example that potentially had a chain-mail component. These accessories were usually worn at the waist, hanging from the belt, which is also the position where most examples occur in inhumation graves across north-west Europe. That the bags were actually used in daily life, and not just a component of the funerary assemblage, is indicated by traces of repairs that have been detected on some rings. When they broke, they were patched back together, indicating that they were functional items, not carefully handled prestige objects.
Culture strategy in Wales