Bâton de commandement

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A bâton de commandement or bâton percé is a name given by archaeologists to a particular prehistoric artefact of uncertain function.

They are made from a length of antler with abstract or animal designs etched into it and a round hole made in one end. They are found at Aurignacian and Magdelanian sites of the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe.

Interpretations include that it was a type of spear thrower or arrow straightener although less violent ideas for its function have also been suggested such as a regal 'baton of command' which was the original understanding.

The spear thrower theory would make the bâton de commandement an intermediary stage between a spear thrower consisting of a cord or thong and the more well known Atlatl; as it has been suggested that the bâton de commandement would have an attached cord or thong to wrap around a dart or spear. It is also notable that in Europe, the bâton de commandement begins to disappear from the archaeological record around the time spear throwers first appear.

[edit] References

Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills from The Society of Primitive Technology (1999) ISBN 0879059117