Fig. 226.—Bone Pins from Broch of Burrian (actual size). cleverly ornamented by its head being carved in the similitude of two horses’ heads looking opposite ways, and another coarsely-made pin without a head (Fig. [229][229]) is marked with transverse scorings.
Fig. 227.—Crutch-headed Bone Pin from Broch of Burrian (actual size). Besides the pins there are three needles of bone with elongated eyes, one broken, the others (Figs. 230, 231) 2¼ and 1¾ inches in length respectively.
Figs. 228, 229.—Bone Pin with ornamental head, and pin with transverse markings, from Broch of Burrian (actual size). There are also a number of pegs of bone, roughly finished, varying in length from 3 inches to 1½ inch, and from nearly ¼ inch to about ⅛ inch diameter.
Figs. 230, 231.—Bone Needles from Broch of Burrian (actual size). These have evidently been used in pegging slips of bone or wood, and several slips of bone, about 3½ inches in length, convex on one side and flat on the other, occur among the relics, two of them having the pegs still in the holes. There are also a large number of shaped pieces of bone and deer-horn which might have served as the handles of small implements—hafts of knives, and suchlike. Among the smaller objects of bone there are several button-like articles, one apparently the half of a square-shaped stud or button of ivory with a small hole for the shank discoloured by oxide of iron, and two others made from short sections of the shank-bone of a sheep. One of these has the iron shank still in the hole. Akin to these in the manner of their formation are several playing dice, manufactured from sheep
Fig. 232.—One of a set of Dice made from a sheep shank-bone found in the Broch of Burrian (actual size). shank-bones. They are simple sections of the shank-bone 1⅝ inch in length, with one or more of the sides rubbed smooth and marked with the customary numbers in the shape of dots and circles. The one here figured (Fig. [232]) is ground smooth on one side, on which there are six points; on the convexity of the bone there are five points; on the naturally flattened side of the bone (which is broken) there are no markings to be seen at the ends, but the centre portion shows one marking. The second example has only one side of the bone remaining, which shows four points. The surface of the bone has scaled off the third example, and obliterated the numbers.[[88]] Among the miscellaneous articles of bone to which no definite use can be assigned, although they are obviously tools or implements intended for special purposes, there is one (Fig. [233]), strongly made of a roughly cut bone, having a rounded point with two grooves cut in it so as to have prominent parallel ridges between and on either side of them.
