Skate (skid)

The bone objects with a slick surface, discovered during excavations are often considered to be skates, which were attached to shoes, or the runners of small wooden sledge used for transport – not only on snow and ice, but also on grass and wooden surfaces. Sometimes, experts are able to determine whether they are dealing with a skate or a runner based on the differences in the marks left by their usage. The skates were attached to leather shoes with straps pulled through holes on both ends. They made it easy to move on compacted snow and ice, as well as mud and wet grass; however, they are mosty associated with having fun in the winter. Runners were placed on the wooden parts of sledges used for transporting goods or carrying people. Horse and cattle bones – metatarsal, metacarpal and radius bones – were used to make skates and runners. The artefact from Kamień was made of left front radius bone of a horse.

Grzegorz Durdyń