OBSIDIAN WEAPONS FROM ADMIRALTY ISLANDS

VANDOO · 12th June 2015, 05:05 PM

THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO IS LOCATED NORTH WEST OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA IN THE AREA OF THE BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO. THEY HAVE SEVERAL SOURCES OF VERY GOOD QUALITY OBSIDIAN STONE (VOLCANIC GLASS) WHICH IS RARE IN THE REGION. OBSIDIAN WAS WIDELY TRADED BY THE LAPITA CULTURE WHICH STARTED AROUND 3500 YEARS AGO AND COLLAPSED AROUND 2000 YEARS AGO. THEY HAD A WIDE TRADE NETWORK STRETCHING FROM THE NEW GUINEA REGION TO TONGA AND SAMOA. LOU ISLAND HAS A VERY GOOD SOURCE OF OBSIDIAN WHICH HAS BEEN MINED FROM ANCIENT TIMES. STONE CLUB HEADS ARE OFTEN MADE BUT MOSTLY FROM VOLCANIC BASAULT STONE.
#1. 9.5 INCH, OBSIDIAN KNIFE, ADMIRALTY ISLANDS.
#2. 26 CM. OBSIDIAN KNIFE, ADMIRALTY IS.
#3. OBSIDIAN DAGGERS ADMIRALTY ISLANDS
#4. OLD OBSIDIAN DAGGER, ADMIRALTY IS.
#5. ADMIRALTY IS. FIGURAL SPEAR.
#6. ADMIRALTY IS. CEREMONIAL SPEAR
#7. 2 ADMIRALTY IS. SPEARS AND A BASAULT HEADED CLUB.
#8. ADMIRALTY IS. SPEAR
#9. ADMIRALTY IS. SPEAR
#10. ADMIRALTY IS. SPEAR WITH STINGRAY BARB POINT.
#11. OLD BOOK PLATE OF ADMIRALTY IS. OBSIDIAN WEAPONS
#12. OLD BOOK PLATE ADMIRALTY IS. OBJECTS

VANDOO · 12th June 2015, 07:52 PM

#1 THRU #12 VARIOUS ADMIRALTY ISLAND SPEARS AND KNIVES

VANDOO · 12th June 2015, 08:14 PM

FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY EXAMPLES OR FURTHER REVELANT INFORMATION AS THIS IS ALL THE INFO I HAVE ON HAND AT PRESENT. PICTURE #1 & #2. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS MANUS ISLAND. THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS TODAY ARE MANUS PROVENCE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA, MANUS BEING THE LARGEST ISLAND .

VANDOO · 12th June 2016, 07:22 AM

A FEW MORE OBSIDIAN TIPPED WEAPONS FROM THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS.

VANDOO · 22nd June 2016, 01:18 AM

#1 THRU #4. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS DAGGERS
#5 & #6. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ADZ WITH OBSIDIAN BLADE.

LJ · 22nd June 2016, 07:52 PM

I have a particular liking for these, have seen plenty in museums but haven't come across one for sale. The book "An ethnography of the Admiralty Islanders" by Sylvia Ohnemus" (1998) provides a good background.

Also, I'm sure I've read an academic paper that discusses changes in form of spears and knives over time, in response to a changing market (i.e. as outsiders came in and started buying them). If I find it again I will post a link - or perhaps somebody else can get there before me.

LJ · 22nd June 2016, 08:03 PM

I've found the article. It was: "Ethnoarchaeology, Museum Collections and Prehistoric Exchange: Obsidian-Tipped Artifacts from the Admiralty Islands" by Robin Torrence. Published in World Archaeology, Vol. 24, No. 3, Ancient Trade: New Perspectives (Feb., 1993), pp. 467-481.

VANDOO · 28th June 2016, 02:19 AM

#1. MY TWO SPEARS, MY SPEARS COLLECTED IN MID 1930'S
#2. ,#3, #4. & #5. DETAIL ON A NICE SPEAR SAID TO BE FROM MANUS ISLAND n.g.

VANDOO · 22nd July 2016, 04:41 PM

ANOTHER NICE EXAMPLE 23.5INCH LONG (CUT OFF) SPEAR 19TH. CENTURY, CROCODILE DESIGN ON SHAFT.

VANDOO · 29th September 2016, 08:20 AM

A CEREMONIAL ADMIRALTY ISLAND KNIFE/ DAGGER SHAPED LIKE A FISH. 18.5 INCHES LONG MISSING THE OBSIDIAN STONE BLADE BUT THE BLACK ADHESIVE WHERE IT WAS MOUNTED REMAINS. A UNUSUAL, GOOD OLD OCEANIC DAGGER.

Kubur · 29th September 2016, 10:32 AM

In the early 20th c. They produced such tools with European material such as glass bottles and glass from utility electric poles

http://www.donsmaps.com/kimberleypoints.html

12th June 2015, 05:05 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	OBSIDIAN WEAPONS FROM ADMIRALTY ISLANDS THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO IS LOCATED NORTH WEST OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA IN THE AREA OF THE BISMARK ARCHIPELAGO. THEY HAVE SEVERAL SOURCES OF VERY GOOD QUALITY OBSIDIAN STONE (VOLCANIC GLASS) WHICH IS RARE IN THE REGION. OBSIDIAN WAS WIDELY TRADED BY THE LAPITA CULTURE WHICH STARTED AROUND 3500 YEARS AGO AND COLLAPSED AROUND 2000 YEARS AGO. THEY HAD A WIDE TRADE NETWORK STRETCHING FROM THE NEW GUINEA REGION TO TONGA AND SAMOA. LOU ISLAND HAS A VERY GOOD SOURCE OF OBSIDIAN WHICH HAS BEEN MINED FROM ANCIENT TIMES. STONE CLUB HEADS ARE OFTEN MADE BUT MOSTLY FROM VOLCANIC BASAULT STONE. #1. 9.5 INCH, OBSIDIAN KNIFE, ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. #2. 26 CM. OBSIDIAN KNIFE, ADMIRALTY IS. #3. OBSIDIAN DAGGERS ADMIRALTY ISLANDS #4. OLD OBSIDIAN DAGGER, ADMIRALTY IS. #5. ADMIRALTY IS. FIGURAL SPEAR. #6. ADMIRALTY IS. CEREMONIAL SPEAR #7. 2 ADMIRALTY IS. SPEARS AND A BASAULT HEADED CLUB. #8. ADMIRALTY IS. SPEAR #9. ADMIRALTY IS. SPEAR #10. ADMIRALTY IS. SPEAR WITH STINGRAY BARB POINT. #11. OLD BOOK PLATE OF ADMIRALTY IS. OBSIDIAN WEAPONS #12. OLD BOOK PLATE ADMIRALTY IS. OBJECTS Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 12th June 2015 at 06:33 PM.

12th June 2015, 07:52 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#1 THRU #12 VARIOUS ADMIRALTY ISLAND SPEARS AND KNIVES Attached Images

12th June 2015, 08:14 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY EXAMPLES OR FURTHER REVELANT INFORMATION AS THIS IS ALL THE INFO I HAVE ON HAND AT PRESENT. PICTURE #1 & #2. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS MANUS ISLAND. THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS TODAY ARE MANUS PROVENCE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA, MANUS BEING THE LARGEST ISLAND . Attached Images

12th June 2016, 07:22 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW MORE OBSIDIAN TIPPED WEAPONS FROM THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. Attached Images

22nd June 2016, 01:18 AM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#1 THRU #4. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS DAGGERS #5 & #6. ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ADZ WITH OBSIDIAN BLADE. Attached Images

22nd June 2016, 07:52 PM	#6
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	I have a particular liking for these, have seen plenty in museums but haven't come across one for sale. The book "An ethnography of the Admiralty Islanders" by Sylvia Ohnemus" (1998) provides a good background. Also, I'm sure I've read an academic paper that discusses changes in form of spears and knives over time, in response to a changing market (i.e. as outsiders came in and started buying them). If I find it again I will post a link - or perhaps somebody else can get there before me.

22nd June 2016, 08:03 PM	#7
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	I've found the article. It was: "Ethnoarchaeology, Museum Collections and Prehistoric Exchange: Obsidian-Tipped Artifacts from the Admiralty Islands" by Robin Torrence. Published in World Archaeology, Vol. 24, No. 3, Ancient Trade: New Perspectives (Feb., 1993), pp. 467-481.

28th June 2016, 02:19 AM	#8
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#1. MY TWO SPEARS, MY SPEARS COLLECTED IN MID 1930'S #2. ,#3, #4. & #5. DETAIL ON A NICE SPEAR SAID TO BE FROM MANUS ISLAND n.g. Attached Images

22nd July 2016, 04:41 PM	#9
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	ANOTHER NICE EXAMPLE 23.5INCH LONG (CUT OFF) SPEAR 19TH. CENTURY, CROCODILE DESIGN ON SHAFT. Attached Images

29th September 2016, 08:20 AM	#10
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A CEREMONIAL ADMIRALTY ISLAND KNIFE/ DAGGER SHAPED LIKE A FISH. 18.5 INCHES LONG MISSING THE OBSIDIAN STONE BLADE BUT THE BLACK ADHESIVE WHERE IT WAS MOUNTED REMAINS. A UNUSUAL, GOOD OLD OCEANIC DAGGER. Attached Images

29th September 2016, 10:32 AM	#11
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	In the early 20th c. They produced such tools with European material such as glass bottles and glass from utility electric poles http://www.donsmaps.com/kimberleypoints.html