Scraper

Thousands of artefacts were recovered during the archaeological investigations carried out between 1986 and 2001 within the boundaries of Szczecin's Podzamcze. The largest number was provided by dig VI established within quarter 5. One of these is an object, described as a scraper discovered in layer XXX chronologically placed in the first quarter of the 13th century. The scraper takes the form of a piece of a thick branch sawn lengthwise. One of its ends has been bevelled to form a working edge with an arched outline, in which a series of serrations have been cut. The other end, of which only the negative remained after breaking off, most likely originally had a handle to facilitate the work. It is not known whether the making of the tool from half of the branch is a deliberate procedure or whether the relic was originally symmetrical and lost half of its thickness due to intensive use or sub-depositional processes. It is also difficult to clearly define the function of such a tool. It could have been used as a scraper to groom the hair of large animals, horses or cattle providing a cheaper equivalent to the metal pieces often found in antique materials of the period. It may also have been used during the tanning of hides – to remove fat and membrane residues covering their inner surface. Again, it would be a cheaper alternative to professional metal or bone tools. However, it was certainly made in-house as required. Its production used a readily available raw material and a few basic tools found in every household, such as an axe, saw and knife. The perishable nature of the wood used suggests that other such utensils, made quickly, spontaneously and from materials at hand, were not preserved at all or their condition prevents proper interpretation today. Slawomir Słowiński