The Anglo-Saxons made combs out of bone and antler. The bone came from animals such as horses, cattle, sheep and pigs. The antler came from deer. There were different types of combs: |
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| Some combs were also decorated. | ||
How did the Anglo-Saxons make combs? To make a comb, rectangular plates of bone or antler were cut. These would then be used to make the teeth. Cuts were made part way into these plates to make the teeth. The teeth plates were held together by long strips of bone or anlter which were attached to each side of the teeth plates in order to hold them together. These long strips were often decorated.
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1. Cut flat strips or plates from a larger piece of bone or antler.
Drawing by Hamish age 9 |
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| Combs would have taken alot ot time and effort to create so the Anglo-Saxons sometmies had cases to put them in so the teeth did not break, like the ones in the picture did!. |  |
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Hamish age 9 |
Thomas age 9 |
Why did the Anglo-Saxons use combs? Combs are quite commonly found on Anglo-Saxon sites, which suggests the Anglo-Saxons were concerned about their appearance. Regular use of combs would also help reduce fleas and head lice. |
