thumb|300px|[[Baton fragment (Palart 310)|Incomplete perforated baton with low relief horse, from Abri de la Madeleine]]
thumb|300px|Four views of another baton from Abri de la Madeleine, now in [[Toulouse]]
thumb|Baton with engraved [[wild horses from Abri de la Madeleine]]
In archaeology, a perforated baton, bâton de commandement or bâton percé is a type of artefact from prehistoric Europe made from antler, which probably served many functions such as being used as a spear-thrower, in rope-making, and ceremonial and other uses.
The name bâtons de commandement ("batons of command") was the name first applied to the class of artefacts, but it makes an assumption of function, as a ceremonial object or insignia held by leaders. The name bâton percé, meaning "pierced rod", or "perforated baton" (the term used by the British Museum) is a more recent term, and is descriptive of form rather than any presumed function.
Many are decorated with carved or engraved animals, and recently the most usual explanation of their use is that they were used for straightening spears and arrows, and as spear-throwers. Originally they were thought by many to be a symbolic attribute of authority.
Description and function
Bâtons percés are made from a length of antler, or ivory, with at least one round hole typically made at one end. They often have abstract or animal designs etched into them (such as horses). They have been found at Aurignacian and Magdalenian sites of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe, with examples dating from 35–12,000 years ago. They have a joint at one end, often forming a T or Y shape, but always with a swelling of the antler at that end. There is a circular hole drilled through the antler just below the swelling or joint, and often a smaller second hole nearby on the shaft. Typical examples range from 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in length. One unusual bone baton from le Souci, Lalinde has a row of eight holes of different sizes.
The purpose of the bâton percé was originally thought to be as a symbol of power or status, hence the early name bâton de commandement, or rod of command, given by Louis Laurent Gabriel de Mortillet. This interpretation is now thought unlikely; one French archaeologist wrote derisively of the name summoning up the image of "an aged general... directing... an assault on a mammoth". Other interpretations include:
- An arrow or spear-straightener, with the shaft to be straightened passing through the hole
- A dress fastener
- A tool for smoothing and shaping leather thongs.
- A dildo; few archaeologists consider these items as sex toys, but archaeologist Timothy Taylor put it, "Looking at the size, shape, and—some cases—explicit symbolism of the ice age batons, it seems disingenuous to avoid the most obvious and straightforward interpretation. But it has been avoided."
- In some instances, a rope making tool.
The British Museum "scope note" for "Perforated baton" says in 2011: "They are now understood to [be] implements used in the manufacture and throwing of spears."
Focusing only on what the objects were used for does not, however, account for why they were decorated.
The spear thrower hypothesis
The use of the bâton percé as a spear-thrower has been the subject of experimental archaeology which has yielded evidence in support of the hypothesis that the bâton percé was used as a spear thrower.
The spear thrower hypothesis was first put forward in an article by artist Leon Underwood in 1965. In this, Underwood, who had previously engaged in experimental archeology working with bronze artefacts, rejected the classification of the bâton percé as a "magic wand", and drew comparisons between it and more contemporary Inuit spear throwers. Underwood's hypothesis was that the existing samples of the bâton percé were in poor shape, and may have been missing a hook, such as that found on the Inuit spear thrower and the atlatl. Underwood built two wooden models, based on different bâton percé from museum collections, but with the addition of a 'nipple' or hook to the end of the shaft opposite the hole. These reproductions were compared against Inuit designs, and were found to offer superior performance when throwing fletched spears; Underwood pointed out that the Inuit throwers, built using driftwood, were necessarily weaker and that the design reflected the available materials.
Rope making
Some batons, especially those with multiple holes and/or spiral grooves around the holes, can function as tools for making rope, and have been found with chemical evidence suggesting this use. Also see Hohle Fels.
Collections
There are examples in museums in many parts of Europe, but there are especially good holdings of decorated batons, mostly from the excavations of Magdalenian sites by Henry Christy and Édouard Lartet, in the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale, British Museum and Muséum de Toulouse. In 2013 a number of batons were displayed in an exhibition at the British Museum Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind.
Unique North American example
The "Murray Springs shaft wrench" appears to be a unique North American example of a similar tool made of bone and comes from the Clovis culture. It dates to about 9,000 years ago and was found in Arizona, where it is now in the Arizona State Museum. It is 259mm long and undecorated, with a simple shaft with a larger end, which has a single, rather oval, hole 25–30 mm across. Similar but smaller tools from much later Native American cultures are known, which are regarded as arrow-straighteners.