Editing Perforated baton

{{Short description|Prehistoric antler artefact}}
[[File:Perforated baton with low relief horse.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Baton fragment (Palart 310)|Incomplete perforated baton]] with low relief horse, from [[Abri de la Madeleine]]]]
[[File:Baton Lartet MHNT PRE .2010.0.1.2 Global noir.jpg|thumb|300px|Four views of another baton from Abri de la Madeleine, now in [[Toulouse]]]]
[[File:Bâton perforé.JPG|thumb|Baton with engraved [[wild horse]]s from Abri de la Madeleine]]
In [[archaeology]], a '''perforated baton''', '''bâton de commandement''' or '''bâton percé''' is a type of [[artifact (archaeology)|artefact]] from [[prehistoric Europe]] made from [[antler]], which probably served many functions such as being used as a spear-thrower, in rope-making, and ceremonial and other uses.  

The name ''bâtons de commandement'' ("batons of command") was the name first applied to the class of artefacts, but it makes an assumption of function, as a ceremonial object or [[insignia]] held by leaders. The name ''bâton percé'', meaning "pierced rod", or "perforated baton" (the term used by the [[British Museum]]) is a more recent term, and is descriptive of form rather than any presumed function.{{sfn|Shaw|Jameson|2008|p=110}}

Many are decorated with carved or engraved animals, and recently the most usual explanation of their use is that they were used for straightening spears and arrows, and as spear-throwers.  Originally they were thought by many to be a symbolic attribute of authority. 

==Description and function==
Bâtons percés are made from a length of [[antler]], or [[ivory]], with at least one round hole typically made at one end.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1126/sciadv.adh5217 | title=Rope making in the Aurignacian of Central Europe more than 35,000 years ago | date=2024 | last1=Conard | first1=Nicholas J. | last2=Rots | first2=Veerle | journal=Science Advances | volume=10 | issue=5 | pages=eadh5217 | pmid=38295167 | pmc=10830101 | bibcode=2024SciA...10H5217C }}</ref> They often have abstract or animal designs etched into them (such as [[Baton fragment (Palart 310)|horses]]).  They have been found at [[Aurignacian]] and [[Magdalenian]] sites of the [[Upper Paleolithic]] in Europe,{{sfn|Shaw|Jameson|2008|p=110}} with examples dating from 35–12,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1126/sciadv.adh5217 | title=Rope making in the Aurignacian of Central Europe more than 35,000 years ago | date=2024 | last1=Conard | first1=Nicholas J. | last2=Rots | first2=Veerle | journal=Science Advances | volume=10 | issue=5 | pages=eadh5217 | pmid=38295167 | pmc=10830101 | bibcode=2024SciA...10H5217C }}</ref> They have a joint at one end, often forming a T or Y shape, but always with a swelling of the antler at that end. There is a circular hole drilled through the antler just below the swelling or joint, and often a smaller second hole nearby on the shaft. Typical examples range from 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20&nbsp;cm) in length.<ref name=wescott>{{cite book
 | author = David Wescott|title=Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills|publisher=Gibbs Smith|year=1999|isbn=978-0879059118}}</ref> One unusual bone baton from le Souci, [[Lalinde]] has a row of eight holes of different sizes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Barbatti|first=Bruno|author-link=Bruno Barbatti|title=Berber Carpets of Morocco: The Symbols, Origin and Meaning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_5SiwJHt48C&pg=PA125|year=2008|publisher=www.acr-edition.com|isbn=978-2-86770-184-9}}, Figure 15.7]</ref>

The purpose of the bâton percé was originally thought to be as a symbol of power or status, hence the early name ''bâton de commandement'', or ''rod of command'', given by [[Louis Laurent Gabriel de Mortillet]]. This interpretation is now thought unlikely; one French archaeologist wrote derisively of the name summoning up the image of "an aged general... directing... an assault on a [[mammoth]]".<ref>André Leroi-Gourhan, 1967, quoted Haynes, 123</ref>  Other interpretations include:
* An [[arrow]] or spear-straightener, with the shaft to be straightened passing through the hole<ref name=wescott />
* A spear thrower<ref name=wescott />
* A symbol of fertility, with the long handle as a male phallic symbol, and the hole as representing the vagina<ref name=wescott/><ref name=windle>{{cite book|last=Windle|first=Bertram|author-link=Bertram Windle|title=Remains of the Prehistoric Age in England|url=https://archive.org/details/remainsprehisto00windgoog|year=1904|publisher=Methuen & Company}}</ref>
* A dress fastener<ref name=windle/>
* A calendar used by midwives<ref name=thompson>{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=William Irwin|author-link=William Irwin Thompson|title=The Time Falling Bodies Take To Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F43vCgAAQBAJ|year=1996|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-16062-3}}</ref>
*A tool for smoothing and shaping leather thongs.<ref>Haynes, 122-123</ref>
*A [[dildo]]; few archaeologists consider these items as sex toys, but archaeologist [[Timothy Taylor (archaeologist)|Timothy Taylor]] put it, "Looking at the size, shape, and—some cases—explicit symbolism of the ice age batons, it seems disingenuous to avoid the most obvious and straightforward interpretation. But it has been avoided."<ref name='taylor_prehistory'>Taylor, T. 1996. ''The Prehistory of Sex.'' New York: Bantam.  p. 128.</ref><ref name='macaques'>Paul L. Vasey, ''Intimate Sexual Relations in Prehistory: Lessons from the Japanese Macaques.''  World Archaeology, Vol. 29, No. 3, Intimate Relations (Feb., 1998), pp. 407-425</ref>
*In some instances, a rope making tool.

The British Museum "scope note" for "Perforated baton" says in 2011: "They are now understood to [be] implements used in the manufacture and throwing of spears."<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectId=1502912 British Museum], follow "scope note" link near top of page.</ref>

Focusing only on what the objects were used for does not, however, account for why they were decorated.

==The spear thrower hypothesis==
The use of the bâton percé as a [[spear-thrower]] has been the subject of [[experimental archaeology]] which has yielded evidence in support of the [[hypothesis]] that the bâton percé was used as a spear thrower.<ref name=wescott /><ref name=underwood>{{cite journal |jstor=2796077 |title=Le baton de commandement |author=Leon Underwood |journal=Man |volume=65 |date=September–October 1965 |issue=4 |pages=140–143 |publisher=Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland|doi=10.2307/2796077 }}, pp. 140-143</ref>

The spear thrower hypothesis was first put forward in an article by artist [[Leon Underwood]] in 1965.  In this, Underwood, who had previously engaged in experimental archeology working with bronze artefacts, rejected the classification of the ''bâton percé'' as a "magic wand", and drew comparisons between it and more contemporary [[Inuit]] spear throwers.  Underwood's hypothesis was that the existing samples of the ''bâton percé'' were in poor shape, and may have been missing a hook, such as that found on the Inuit spear thrower and the atlatl.  Underwood built two wooden models, based on different ''bâton percé'' from museum collections, but with the addition of a 'nipple' or hook to the end of the shaft opposite the hole.  These reproductions were compared against Inuit designs, and were found to offer superior performance when throwing fletched spears; Underwood pointed out that the Inuit throwers, built using driftwood, were necessarily weaker and that the design reflected the available materials.<ref name=underwood />

In another experiment, the ''bâton percé'' was used in the other orientation, held so that the end with the hole was outwards, and no hook was added.  In this series of tests, a {{convert|5|ft}}, {{convert|1500|gr}} [[fletching|fletched]] spear was used.  To use the ''bâton percé'' as a spear thrower, a length of cord is attached to the spear, near the middle of the spear.  [[Leather]] would be suitable for lighter spears, while [[tendon|sinew]] would be required for heavier spears.  The addition of the cord turns the spear into a large [[Swiss arrow]].  Using the spear thus equipped as a Swiss arrow resulted in a 43% increase in range, compared to a hand thrown spear.<ref name=wescott />

The ''bâton percé'' is used by feeding the cord through the hole, and laying the cord along the length of the shaft.  The ''bâton percé'' is held in the hand with the solid end held in the hand near the pinkie and the pierced end emerging from the other end of the fist. The loose end of the cord is grasped between thumb and forefinger, and the spear is laid along the bâton percé.  The spear may be twisted up to one and a half turns, which serves to stabilize the spear during the throw.  The ''bâton percé'' is held over the shoulder, and thrown overhand.  The length of the ''bâton percé'' serves to increase the thrower's leverage, providing more speed, and the cord acts as it does in a Swiss arrow, extending the leverage further.  Use of the ''bâton percé'' in this way results in a 127% increase in range over the same hand-thrown spear.<ref name=wescott />

===Experimental observations===
Most'' bâton percé'' examples are curved to some degree, either from the natural curve of the antler from which they are made, or as the result of deliberate alteration.  Straight or curved handles both produce similar gains in range, but the experimenters found that curved handles provided [[Human factors and ergonomics|better ergonomic]]s than a straight handle, with left-handed throwers preferring one direction of curve, and right-handed throwers preferring the other.  Straight handles had the advantage of being usable by both left and right-handed throwers.<ref name=wescott />

While the T or Y shape is not required for use as a spear thrower, an example with a T or Y shape is less sensitive to the direction and amount of twist in the cord, and thus easier to use.  Used in the method described, even the ''bâton percé''{{'}}s hole can be dispensed with, though the resulting spear thrower would be far more difficult to load and use.<ref name=wescott />

The cord used works well when it is long enough that about {{convert|8|in}} of cord extends from the hole of the ''bâton percé'' to the knot on the spear.  Longer cords up to {{convert|12|in}} may provide higher velocities. Cord attachment points can vary from the middle of the spear to the [[centre of mass]], depending on the length, and a significantly front-heavy spear works best.<ref name=wescott />

The spear should be long enough to project about {{convert|1|ft}} in front of the ''bâton percé'' when ready to throw.  When using a long spear, a longer ''bâton percé'' can also be used, though a short version works as well.  The longer ''bâton percé'' may provide additional velocity over the shorter version.<ref name=wescott />

==The spear straightener hypothesis==
[[File:GLAM Ice Age 204.jpg|thumb|Two French batons with engraved horses, [[British Museum]]]]
The hypothesis that the batons were used to help fashion spears, darts, and arrows does not necessarily conflict with their use as spear-throwers.

The straighteners may have operated in two main ways. Firstly, the holes may have been used as a "shaft wrench" to lever a wooden shaft straight, perhaps after heating the shaft.  The shaft would be noticeably smaller than the hole, and placed through it. By applying pressure on the baton bends in the shaft could be straightened. The second method is to put the shaft through the hole, and then spin the baton round and round, with the rough inside of the hole either wearing away the wood to achieve a tapering point, or marking areas to be whittled; it could then be fire-hardened. Smoothing leather thongs placed through the hole in a similar way is another possible use.<ref name="Haynes, 122-124">Haynes, 122-124</ref>

==Rope making==
Some batons, especially those with multiple holes and/or spiral grooves around the holes, can function as tools for making [[rope]], and have had been found with chemical evidence suggesting this use.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/rope-making-tool-germany-04047.html |title=Archaeologists Find 40,000-Year-Old Rope-Making Tool in Germany |date=22 July 2016 |website=Sci-News |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/aug/01/mammoth-tusk-drill-holes-make-rope-change-history-stone-age/ |title=Take a tusk, drill holes, weave a rope – and change the course of history |work=The Guardian |date=1 August 2020 |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-rope-making-tool-ivory | title=A four-holed piece of ivory provides a glimpse into ancient rope-making | date=31 January 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8X9l42ZgsU | title=Stone age people made hundreds of these...why? | website=[[YouTube]] | date=20 May 2024 }}</ref> Also see [[Hohle Fels]].

==Collections==
There are examples in museums in many parts of Europe, but there are especially good holdings of decorated batons, mostly from the excavations of [[Magdalenian]] sites by [[Henry Christy]] and [[Édouard Lartet]], in the [[National Archaeological Museum (France)|Musée d'Archéologie Nationale]], [[British Museum]] and [[Muséum de Toulouse]]. In 2013 a number of batons were displayed in an exhibition at the British Museum ''Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind''.<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/ice_age_art.aspx Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind]</ref>

==Unique North American example==
The "Murray Springs shaft wrench" appears to be a unique North American example of a similar tool made of bone and comes from the [[Clovis culture]]. It dates to about 9,000 years ago and was found in [[Arizona]], where it is now in the [[Arizona State Museum]]. It is 259mm long and undecorated, with a simple shaft with a larger end, which has a single, rather oval, hole 25–30&nbsp;mm across. Similar but smaller tools from much later [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] cultures are known, which are regarded as arrow-straighteners.<ref name="Haynes, 122-124"/>

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Haynes|first=Gary|title=The Early Settlement of North America: The Clovis Era|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8_7hI_88j4C&pg=PA123|year=2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-52463-6}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Shaw |editor1-first=Ian |editor1-link=Ian Shaw (Egyptologist) |editor2-last=Jameson |editor2-first=Robert |title=A Dictionary of Archaeology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HKDtlPuM2oC |year=2008 |publisher=John Wiley |isbn=978-0-470-75196-1}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Underwood|first1=Leon|title=Le baton de commandement.|journal=Man|date=September 1965|volume=65|issue=4 |pages=140–143|doi=10.2307/2796077|jstor=2796077}}

{{Commons category|Bâton de commandement}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baton De commandement}}
[[Category:Archaeological artefact types]]
[[Category:Upper Paleolithic]]
[[Category:Aurignacian]]
[[Category:Art of the Upper Paleolithic]]
[[Category:Bone carvings]]