Elk‐Head Staffs in Prehistoric North-Eastern Europe and North-Western Russia – Signs of Power and Prestige?

Abstract

<p>Around 30 axe‐shaped staffs sculpted as elk heads at the upper end have been found from burials and settlement layers across a widespread area, extending from the Baltic region to the Urals. These enigmatic items made of antler were in use for a considerably long period from the Late Mesolithic to the Early Metal Period, and depictions of elk‐head staffs are also known from Stone Age rock art sites. Using two previously misidentified elk‐head staff fragments from the Stone Age settlements of Zvidze in Latvia and Veretye in Russia as examples, the authors examine the role and function of elk‐head staffs. Special emphasis is put on the fragmentation of the artefacts: the authors point out that elk‐head staffs found in burials have been intact, whereas those found in settlement layers have mostly been deliberately broken and discarded. The authors thus interpret the elk‐head staffs as private items that were closely associated with the undertakings of their owners.</p>