Geoarchaeology and Archaeomineralogy (Eds. R. I. Kostov, B. Gaydarska, M. Gurova). 2008.
Proceedings of the International Conference, 29-30 October 2008, Sofia, Publishing House “St. Ivan Rilski”, Sofia, 288-290.
REAL ARROWS OR “DARTS FROM HEAVEN”? SOME IDEAS ON THE
INTERPRETATION OF BELEMNITES FROM NEOLITHIC AND CHALCOLITHIC SITES IN
BULGARIA
Кamen Boyadziev
National Institute of Archaeology and Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,1000 Sofia; [email protected]
ABSTRACT. The article presents belemnites found in Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites in Bulgaria (some of them reshaped) and the
interpretations suggested for their use. According to R. Popov (1909, 535) the fossils from the Tell Kodzadermen have been used as arrowheads.
However, several evidence question this hypothesis – the curved shape of some of the finds, the short “tangs”, the physical properties of these
fossils, the presence of belemnites both in male and female burials in the necropolis at Polyanitsa. According to a number of historical and
ethnographical analogies it is possible to suggest that the belemnites rather had symbolic meaning and were perceived and respected as “thunder
arrows” or “darts from heaven”. Thus, they may have been used as amulets with magical or healing power.
Belemnites are an extinct group of marine cephalopods
which were largely spread during the Jurassic and the
Cretaceous periods. Normally the back part of their shell (the
so called rostrum) is found as fossil. The shape of the rostrum
is usually cylindrical, “spindle-like” or slightly conical
(Stoyanova-Vergilova,1970, 7-9).
The earliest known find can be dated in the Late Neolithic
(Tell Provadiya-Solnitsata). All of the others belong to the
Middle and Late Chalcolithic (Polyanitsa IV and KGK VI
cultures). All of the finds come from Central-North and
Northeastern Bulgaria. As it seems this is due to the close
proximity of the prehistoric settlements to deposits rich in
fossils. Such deposits have been recorded in the area of all
sites in question (see Stoyanova-Vergilova, 1970, 6).
Obviously belemnites had attracted the attention of prehistoric
people. But did they collect them just as strange “souvenirs” or
the fossils had some particular use? And what was it? This is
the question that I would like to discuss.
My interest in these fossils and in the role they played in the
life of the Chalcolithic people was provoked by a short note for
a collective find of 14 belemnites from the Tell of
Kodzadermen1. According to R. Popov they were artificially
sharpened and used as arrow points together with the similarly
shaped bone arrowheads (Popov, 1909, 535). Almost no other
information about belemnites found in prehistoric sites exists in
the Bulgarian archaeological literature. The presence of such
fossils in most of the graves of the partially excavated
necropolis at Polyanitsa (Middle Chalcolithic, Polyanitsa IV
culture) has been recorded but with no particular information
about them (Todorova, 1982, 165). Recently a belemnite from
the Tell Provadiya-Solnitsata was published. It is artificially
shaped as a small rectangular plate. The fossil was found in
the lower part of pit 4 – Late Neolithic (Аnastasova, 2008, 77).
Another belemnite with similar shape was found in the
Chalcolithic layer of the tell (E. Anastasova – personal
communication). It is suggested that these fossils were
probably used as adornments (Аnastasova, 2008, 77).
Unpublished finds of belemnites come also from other
Chalcolithic sites in Bulgaria: Tell Nevski (Popovo, Targovishte
Region), Tell Smyadovo (Shumen Region), Tell Hotnitsa
(Veliko Tarnovo Region), the settlement Orlovec-Erendzhika
(Veliko Tarnovo Region), the necropolis at Sushina (Shumen
Region).
As it was already mentioned, R. Popov suggests that the
belemnites found at the Tell Kodzadermen were used as arrow
points (Popov 1909, 535). This idea is based on the similarity
to the Chalcolithic bone arrowheads. According to the
excavator the 14 fossils were found together with 23 bone
points (Popov, 1909, 534-535). Indeed, the belemnites and
bone artifacts in question have similar shape and dimensions –
the first being 50-65 mm long and up to 8 mm thick, the latter –
57-85 mm long and up to 6 mm thick. The lower part of the
belemnites had been shaped as a small plane part which to
some extent resembles the tangs of the bone arrowheads (Fig.
1).
However, several evidence question the idea that these
fossils were used as real weapons. First, it is the natural
curved shape of some of them which is not suitable for an
arrow point. Second, the plane parts in their lower ends are too
short to provide firm fixing to the arrow shaft. In all bone
artifacts it is longer (Fig. 2).
1
Eponymous site of the Late Chalcolithic cultural complex KodzadermenGumelnitsa-Karanovo VI (KGK VI) – second half of the V mill. BC.
288
Solnitsata. Еleven (оf 16 in total) of the belemnites from Tell
Nevski have been reshaped as small “semi-cylinders” by
splitting at the middle. Their surface has been polished. They
have similar dimensions – between 15 and 30 mm long (Fig. 4;
Fig. 5).
Fig. 1. Belemnites from Tell Kodzadermen
Fig. 4. Belemnites from Tell Nevski
Similar to them but reshaped from both sides is the
belemnite from the Tell Provadiya-Solnitsata (Fig. 5). The idea
that it was probably used as adornment (Аnastasova, 2008,
77) is questioned by the lack of holes or other ways of hanging
it or stitching it to dress (perforated belemnite beads are known
from the Late Paleolithic site Kostenki 17 in Russia; White,
1992, 553).
Fig. 2. Bone arrowheads typical of the Chalcolithic
The only find I know which really corresponds to the bone
arrowheads is a belemnite from Smyadovo (Fig. 3). However,
even in this case its real use as a weapon seems problematic
because of the weak physical properties of the belemnites.
Such function is not completely impossible but another
explanation of their shaping seems more probable (see below).
Fig. 5. Belemnites from Tell Provadiya-Solnitsata (left – after Anastasova
2008, 78 – table 1: 9) and Tell Nevski
The other 5 belemnites from Nevski are not-splitted
fragments. On some of them abrading is visible. It is possible
that they represent earlier phase of the manufacturing of “semicylinders” (Fig. 6).
Fig. 3. Belemnite from Tell Smyadovo
Among the other finds known from Bulgaria there are no
belemnites reshaped as arrow points. According to the
researchers some of them lack visible traces of human
treatment – those from Hotnitsa, Orlovets-Erendzhika and
Sushina. There is no information for such treatment on the
fossils from the necropolis at Polyanitsa. Human intervention is
attested on the finds from the Tells Nevski and Provadiya-
Fig. 6. Belemnites from Tell Nevski
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success in hunting or battle, thus the plain parts may have
served for fastening. On the other hand the differences in
modelling of other belemnites (like “semi-cylinders” or plates)
as well as finding such in cemeteries (both in male and female
burials) suggest that other “supernatural” properties were
ascribed to them, too. Hypothetically it is possible that they
were also used as drugs.
Unfortunately in most of the cases there is no data about the
context of finding of the fossils in question. However, it is worth
noting their presence not only in settlements but in cemeteries,
too. Belemnites have been found in most of the graves (of 23
excavated altogether) from the necropolis at Polyanitsa
(Todorova, 1982, 165) and in one grave (of 11 excavated in
2007) from the necropolis at Sushina. They were placed near
the head of the deceased; one per burial (only in one grave
from Polyanitsa there were two). Belemnites are present in
both male and female burials (Boyadziev, 2006, 33, 36; Y.
Boyadziev – personal communication). This fact is a proof that
the fossils were not used as arrowheads because the latter are
normally part of the male inventory. However, belemnites were
important part of the burial rite in Polyanitsa. There is no
evidence that this was due to some practical use. It seems
more probable that their presence in the burials was connected
to the beliefs of the Chalcolithic people and may be to their
vision of the afterlife, in particular, since no such fossils have
been found in the entirely excavated Tell Polyanitsa (Todorova,
1982, 165). Thus, I would like to present some beliefs
regarding belemnites in later (historic) societies which, in my
opinion, may provide the key for interpretation of the discussed
prehistoric finds.
In fact, both these differences in shaping in different
settlements and the different distribution in cemeteries (largescale presence in Polyanitsa and complete absence in most of
the other cemeteries, although partially excavated) show that
belemnites maybe had different use or importance in the
settlements of one culture and in one region. However, it
seems that this “use” was not connected to the real properties
of these fossils but to the “supernatural” features ascribed to
them.
Acknowledgements. The author wish to thank S. Chohadziev, S.
Venelinova, P. Leshtakov, E. Anastasova and Y. Boyadziev for the
information of unpublished finds.
References
Anastasova, Е. 2008. Pit 4: artifacts of stone, bone, antler and
flint. – In: Prehistoric Salt-extracting Center ProvadiyaSolnitsata (Excavations 2005-2007) (Ed. V. Nikolov).
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 76-79 (in
Bulgarian).
Bassett, M. G. 1982. ‘Formed Stones’, Folklore and Fossils.
National Museum of Wales. Geological Series N1, Cardiff,
32 p.
Boyadziev, Y. 2006. Mobility of individuals and contacts
between communities in the 5th millennium BC (according
to cemeteries information). – Bulletin of the Institute of
Archaeology, 39, 13-55 (in Bulgarian).
Davletshin, G. М. 1990. Volga Bulgaria: Spiritual Culture. PreMongolian Period X – Beginning of XIII Century. Kazan (in
Russian).
Duffin, C. J. 2008. Fossils as drugs: pharmaceutical
palaeontology. – Ferrantia, 54, 85 p.
Golubeva, L. А. 1997. Amulets. – In: Archaeology of the
USSR. Ancient Rus. Мoscow, 153-165 (in Russian).
Oakley, K. 1965. Folklore of fossils. Part I. – Antiquity, 39, 916.
Popov, R. 1909. The Kodzadermen Tell. – Period. J. Bulgarian
Liter. Soc., 70, 503-562 (in Bulgarian).
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N. I. Tolstoi). 1995. Nauka, Moscow, 584 p. (in Russian).
Stoyanova-Vergilova, М. 1970. Fossils in Bulgaria. ІVа. Lower
Cretaceous. Belemnitida. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,
Sofia (in Bulgarian).
Todorova, H. 1982. Kupferzeitliche Siedlungen in Nordost
Bulgarien. – Materialen zur Allgemeinen und
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The term belemnite derives from the Greek word βελεµνον –
arrow. In lots of cultures these fossils are known as “thunder
arrows” and are believed to fall from the sky during thunder
storms. Such a name is attested in Bulgaria (“gramotevichni
streli”, also “bozhi streli” – “God’s arrows”), Russia (“gromovie
streli”), Britain (“thunderbolts”; “thunder arrows”), etc. In the
tradition of the Slavic peoples they are respectively connected
to the cult of God Perun (Golubeva, 1997, 153). Belemnites
are considered to bring good luck and are often believed to
have magical powers – like preventing thunder storms, healing,
etc. (Bassett, 1982, 32; Slavyanskie Drevnosti, 1995, 561562). Their use as remedies for different diseases (of humans
or animals) has been attested historically and ethnographically
in different regions and cultures up to the end of XIX –
beginning of XX century (c. Oakley, 1965, 14; Slavyanskie
Drevnosti, 1995, 561-562; Duffin, 2008, 23-28). The healing
procedure usually was powdering the fossil in water or other
liquid and drinking it but sometimes wearing them as amulets
was considered enough (Duffin, 2008, 28). Similar use was
probably known in Volga Bulgaria where belemnites have been
found both in settlements and cemeteries (Davletshin, 1990).
Although direct “transferring” of such analogies to so distant
times is risky, I think it is quite possible that these beliefs have
their origin in prehistory. Probably then the specific shape of
the belemnites had also impressed the humans and provoked
their imagination to find an explanation of their origin. And the
analogy with arrowheads (“thunder-”, “heaven-” or “God’s-”)
seems even more natural for people who really used similar
points for their arrows. From this point of view the finding of the
belemnites together with bone arrowheads at the Tell
Kodzadermen may be explained not only by their possible (but
not very convincing) function as weapons but more probably by
the symbolic meaning they had as “darts from heaven”. They
may have been used in some rituals or worn as amulets for
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