## Quick Facts - Archaeologists know what bones were used as tools because bones used regularly as tools develop a polished sheen, unlike leftover detritus from meals. - Inuit tattooists use copper or [caribou bone needles](https://arcticjournal.ca/featured/marks-of-belonging), followed by a "greased wood sliver" dipped in black pigment, for the "skin-stitching" method of tattooing. - Horse bone artifacts from the Turkmenistan region were shaped to resemble female figures, sometimes with dots around the pubic region or nipples to convey an impression of nudity. - We can document the use of bone tools by humans as far back as the Early Pleistocene era (aka the Ice Age). - Located between the chin and the thyroid cartilage, the hyoid is a horseshoe shaped bone in the throat that helps people talk. It's [the only human bone not connected](https://www.ibji.com/blog/orthopedic-care/did-you-know-8-interesting-facts-about-bones/) to other bones. ## Mass Production We have [evidence of humans mass-producing bone tools](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0256090) as far back as the Paleolithic era. Elephant long bones were systematically broken to make blanks appropriate for shaping tools. The extinction of the Palaeoloxodon, a species of straight-tusked elephants, may have been one of the reasons that the technique was abandoned. ## Glow Green Because of their unique regenerative abilities, exposed neural tubes, and weird heart defects, axolotls are very important to scientific research. To facilitate this, they were [cross-bred with albino tiger salamanders so scientists could see their bones better](https://reddit.com/r/Awwducational/comments/qunh5l/a_lot_of_people_requested_that_i_post_this_here). Scientists also altered their genes so that their bones would glow green under black lights, which also made them easier to study. ## Bone Sorrows The national musical instrument of Mongolia is a _morin huur_, which is [a bowed string instrument with a carved horse's head](http://countrystudies.us/mongolia/39.htm). According to legend, it was invented by a rider who used the rib bones and the mane of his favorite horse to make an instrument to express his sorrow at its death. ## Mistaken Identity The term "whalebone" is actually a misnomer. Baleen is the comb-like keratin-based structure that blue whales and humpbacks use to filter plankton. It was [popular for making baskets, corsets, tea trays, and sword handles before the rise of plastics](https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Baleen). Indigenous North Americans used it to make kayaks and [spindle whorls](https://staff.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/2018/10/11/spindle-whorls-of-british-columbia-part-2/). --- 📗 [ICYMI](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/what-is-icymi): If you found this interesting, you may also enjoy my previous newsletter about **tombs**: [Burials with dyed bones & deadfall stones](https://eleanorkonik.com/tombs/) %% ( [[2020-09-07 Tombs]] ) %%. 💚 If you learned something from overview, consider forwarding it to a friend and encouraging them to [sign up](https://eleanorkonik.com/membership/) for more research deep dives into obscure history and science. 🏇 Next week's topic? **Racing!** If you know any weird racing history, consider hitting "reply" and letting me know about it.