I heard a great interview with an anthropologist (no reference sorry), who said always be suspicious of objects in museums labeled ‘for ritual’, because that’s the anthropological fallback for ‘no obvious purpose’
this. Archeologists label things as being "for ritual purposes" when they can't immediately identify a practical purpose.
Which would be OK if archeologists were trained in any of the hundreds of specialised activities needed to stay alive in pre-industrial times. But no. Digging precise holes in a grid, and drawing.
People who don't deal with archaeologists or the like may not get the humor here. It's super common for people in these fields to have historical hobbies on the side. Knapping and garments are common, but I've known people who do things like persistence hunting for fun. I spent awhile learning how to process animals myself.
Edit: spelling