Archaeologists analyzing ancient stone tools recovered from a tiny islet in Greece have found the earliest known evidence of hide-working from the Aegean Bronze Age, according to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
The research focused on Dhaskalio, a steep, rocky islet at the western edge of Keros island in the central Cyclades. Excavations carried out between 2006 and 2008, and again from 2016 to 2018, uncovered extensive building remains on the islet along with a major ritual site nearby at Kavos.
Both areas date to the middle of the third millennium BC, when Dhaskalio was a densely built settlement tied to gatherings across the surrounding islands. Diego Capra, the study‘s lead author and a researcher at Rovira i Virgili University in Spain, led an examination of stone artifacts recovered from two excavation trenches on the islet.
The tools were made from rock types not native to Dhaskalio, including hematite, limestone, marble, and emery, suggesting they had been brought in from elsewhere, much like nearly everything else found at the site.
Study uncovers ochre grinding and leather softening clues
Using high-powered microscopes, Capra and colleagues studied molds taken from the tool surfaces to identify wear patterns left behind from ancient use.
The findings showed several stone implements were used to grind and crush ochre, a red or yellow pigment made from iron-rich minerals such as hematite and goethite, long known for use in body decoration and burial customs.
More notably, wear patterns on several tools also pointed to hide-working. Researchers said some stones carried a smooth, glossy sheen along with pits and directional scratches consistent with softening or tanning animal skins at different stages of dryness.
On at least one tool, evidence suggested ochre powder had been mixed in during the process, likely to help preserve the material.
Stone tools confirm rare evidence of ancient hide-working in Greece
To confirm the results, the team compared the wear marks with data from experimental grinding of ochre and hide processing, as well as with tools used by traditional leatherworkers in Ethiopia who still make parchment using similar stone implements.
Researchers noted that leather rarely survives in the archaeological record, so direct evidence of ancient hide production is hard to find, making the discovery especially valuable for understanding daily craft work at the time.
The findings indicate Dhaskalio served as more than a ceremonial site. Researchers said the stone tools tied to hide-working show that craft communities in Greece relied on practical, everyday production alongside ritual activity, reinforcing the islet’s role as a center of Bronze Age industry.
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