The mysterious viking age awls

Nowadays archaeologists identify this kind of artifacts as awls and there can be not much doubt that they could fill this role of a simple tool quite fine. However, a shadow of doubt over this recognition is cast by the inexplainable presence of often lavish decoration on their bone or antler handles. The quality of the carvings clearly exclude simple doodling done by an idle craftsman.  Antler handle alone would make it quite an exceptional awl, but the ornamentation that the largest part of these objects manifest seems to quietly whisper that we yet do not know enough about them.

It seems that for the most part awls, as simple and humble tools that they are, have had nice wooden handles and thus after centuries in soil all that is left of them are not impressive looking iron rods [1]. Whereas, look at some of these here: https://sagy.vikingove.cz/en/early-medieval-awls/ (may the authors of sagy vikingove  live long and prosperous for gathering images of so many of these artifacts in one place!). And those are not at all all of them, in the archaeology of Latvia alone we have many others.  But what might they really be?

[1] E.g. Mould Q., Carlisle I., Cameron E. Craft, Industry and Everyday Life: Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York, figs. 1574 - 1575

Our ''awl'' is based on the find from Āraiši lake dwelling, also depicted on the website mentioned above.