the letter V.The fracture extends from the end of the diaphysis to the
suspected fifth hole.On the opposite,missing end of the bone,a pro-
jecting end with a straight edge is preserved.The morphology of the
edges of the complete holes differ from that of the partial edge of the
suspected hole on the anterior side and one of the suspected holes on
the posterior side.The surface and almost all edges,including the edge
of the two complete holes,have been greatly damaged mechanically and
chemically by time.Clear traces of possible factors that may have given
the bone the deliberate or coincidental shape of a flute have thus been
erased.Interpreting the Find:Problems and Issues
Who Made the Holes:Carnivores or Humans?
Approximately 600 femurs belonging to young cave bears one to four
years of age have been found at the site to date.Almost all are more or
less fragmented,and only some 10 pieces are approximately the same
size as the bone with holes.Only one was artificially pierced in the center
on both sides (Turk,Dirjec,and Kavur 1997b:figure 11.15).All other
bones are without holes.Almost all 600 examples lack both articulating
ends (epiphyses).The diaphysis has been preserved more or less whole.
This part is without spongy tissue in young bears,which is present only
in the region of the two epiphyses and metaphyses.The two epiphyses
and metaphyses in most young femurs were probably removed by car-
nivores,which can be confirmed by traces and occasional impressions
of teeth on individual examples (Turk and Dirjec 1997:figures 9.1 and
9.2;Turk,Dirjec,and Kavur 1997b:figure 11.19).A similar fate may also
have befallen the suspected bone flute.It can be claimed with great prob-
ability that,in view of the way in which it is damaged,at least one of its
ends was gnawed by a carnivore,although there are no clear traces of
teeth (Turk, Dirjec, and Kavur 1997b; Chase and Nowell 1998).^5
However,it cannot be reliably ascertained when the bone was chewed—
before or after the holes were made,or even at the same time (Chase
and Nowell 1998).In any case,it was not damaged during excavation,
although it was located deep in breccia.
Even if carnivore activity were established with regard to this bone
(Turk,Dirjec,and Kavur 1997b;Albrecht et al.1998;Chase and Nowell
1998;d’Errico et al.1998),this still does not mean that only beasts formed
the bone in the way that it was found.We are familiar with examples in
which indisputable bone artifacts,such as Upper Paleolithic bone points,
were greatly chewed by beasts after people ceased to use them (Turk
and Stele 1997:figure 57;López Bayón et al.1997:photo 1).A recently240 Drago Kunej and Ivan Turk