Agriculture and ironwork in the Middle Ages: new evidence of bone anvils in Spain

Abstract

This paper analyzes and discusses the production and utilization of bone anvils across Europe in light of new evidence found in the Bas-que Country and Madrid, emphasizing the important social and economical function of these tools. A general overview of the stage of the research about these tools and about serrated sickles that were manufactured using them will be given. As an appendix, a catalogue of the evidence that has been published until now is offered.

Keywords

• Bone anvils
• toothed sickles
• ironwork
• agriculture
• archaeology