Julia Kokorina

Abstracts:

Studies of an artifact start from its description during which we put in order our knowledge about what we are describing. Thus, our actions should be regulated by certain rules. French scholar Jan-Claude Gardin offered the following principles to be used when describing articles: orientation, differentiation, and segmentation.
Here are two examples of how the first principle of orientation or right location of an artifact in space can be used. There are some hook-shaped artifacts in the Scythian material culture, the function of which is not clear. Nearly all of them come from robbed burials; therefore it’s impossible to find out their original location. The right orientation of such hooks allows to assume that they were worn on one side and were used for hanging up some object, probably a bow-case.
Burials of Pre-dynastic Egypt yielded some ornamented bowls of uncertain function. Network and rosette ornamentation on their walls and bottoms respectively make it possible to suggest that the bowls were open for survey from all sides. On the other hand all bottoms have traces of soot. From the utilitarian point of view decor was not necessary if bowls were put on fire and their bottom was not supposed to be demonstrated. It can be suggested that a pottery makers expected the objects to be seen by both people and gods. Probably these are ritual bowls.
Thus, two groups of artifacts have been analyzed. In the first case the orientation of the artifacts allowed to determine their utilitarian function. In the second case we can assume their sacral purposes.