From Vallay, North Uist, Outer Hebrides
This bone cup was found at Vallay on North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. It was used sometime between 200 BC and 800 AD.
The cup was made from a vertebra (a segment of the spinal column) of a sea mammal such as a dolphin or whale. It is damaged on the rim.
The convenient shapes and qualities of some animal bones made them ideal for certain kinds of objects and ornaments. Some parts needed little or no modification to produce objects, as in this case.
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