Bone combs

Combs made of wood, bone or horn were a widely used object connected with personal hygiene. In the case of certain peoples the comb could also symbolise ethnicity or status, in addition to being a useful object. The combs discovered during archaeological excavations in Koper are of the same, one could say almost standardised shape. They have two rows of teeth; one row has thinner teeth, placed closely together, and the other row has thicker teeth, placed wider apart. They are made up of several parts, which are joined together with two longitudinal crosspieces and iron rivets. With the exception of simple incisions on the crosspieces, no other ornaments are present. In late Antiquity the owners of such combs usually belonged to the Romance population.