metal weapons and tools in the pacific

[VANDOO]

MOST OF WHAT WE CONSIDER OCEANIC SOCIETYS WERE STONE AGE IN THE PRECONTACT DAYS. THE HIGH ISLANDS HAD STONE ( VARIOUS FORMS OF LAVA, BASALT BEING THE ONE HEAVY ENOUGH AND STRONG ENOUGH TO FORM A HAMMER OR ADZ, THE OTHER FORMS WERE SUITABLE FOR GRINDING SOFT FOODS, ECT OR AS ABRASIVES FOR SHAPEING OR FINISHING WOOD, SHELL OR BONE. THE LOW ISLANDS HAD NO ROCK AND LIMITED TYPES OF PLANT MATERIALS. HERE BONE, CORAL AND SHELL WAS USED IN PLACE OF ROCK SOME ROCK MAY HAVE BEEN OBTAINED FROM HIGH ISLANDS DURING VOYAGES OR TRADE.
THIS WOULD HAVE MADE IRON WORKING VERY DIFFICULT EVEN IF IRON ORE WAS AVAILABLE. A PIECE OF FOUND IRON COULD HAVE BEEN POUNDED WITH ROCKS AND WORN DOWN BY HAND GRINDING ON A ROCK TO MAKE SOMETHING. MOST OF THE IRON TOOLS CAME TO THE ISLANDS THRU TRADERS ONE OF THE MOST FAVORED BEING A HATCHET OR SMALL AX HEAD. THE AX HEADS DID NOT TAKE UP MUCH ROOM AND WERE IN BIG DEMAND AS THEY COULD BE USED AS A TOOL MAKEING TREE CHOPPING A LOT EASIER AND ALSO MADE A DANDY WEAPON. THEY WERE MOSTLY OUTFITTED WITH HANDLES BY THE TRIBESMAN AND WERE USED ON MOST ISLANDS AS WELL AS IN THE AMERICAS WHERE THEY WERE CALLED TOMMAHAWKS. OFTEN LATER EXAMPLES BECAME MORE ORNATE AS THEY WERE DESIRABLE AS A PRESTIEGE ITEM NOT JUST A TOOL.
THE SAMOAN KNIFE WAS PATTERENED AFTER A WOODEN CLUB DISTINTIVE TO SAMOA IT MAY HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR TRADE TO THOSE ISLANDS AND SHAPED ACCORDINGLY BECAUSE THAT FORM HAD CEREMONIAL OR PRESTIGE MEANING. I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER WOODEN CLUB THAT WAS REPLICATED IN STEEL FOR TRADE PURPOSES SO PERHAPS THE SAMOAN CLUB/KNIFE IS UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD.
SEE EXAMPLE OF A COMMON OCEANIC TRADE AX FORM

[Tim Simmons]

This book is well worth getting { Pacific Encounters, art & divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860, available from amazon pbk} as it mentions the use of metal from the very first European and whaler visits to Polynesia. Mention is made that many of the finest pieces of sculpture collected by these early voyages were carved with metal trade tools. There are weapons in this book but all made of wood as the focus is on the earliest period. Other publications do highlight the observances of the use of the forge in Polynesia and further afield. Cpt Cook had to issuse an order of no iron trade because ships nails were in great demand. In the coming years the Islanders were able to demand what trade items they wanted. I see no reason to not believe that between visits the necessity to forge metal did not arise especially as these ports of call were so important for resupply and repairs? It is most curious that publications on the arts of Polynesia do not include metalwork. I might suggest this is because it is not what the buying public expect. Compared to the standard ideas of discovering Polynesia with its wonderful sculpture, and following colonisation, metalwork is too advanced and a little dull.

[Tim Simmons]

This is cool.
http://www.heretical.com/cannibal/polynesi.html

If you look closely at the knife I have in the link you can see that it is fashioned largely by grinding into shape from a European blade. The grinding has been done with hand held stones rather than a rotating grind stone. Some heat must have been applied to create the roll at the tip but you would not need a great force of heat to do that. Also it is worth noting that the ferrel part is just bent into shape. As in the post the knife was originally shown I believe this is an extemely unusual item. The recent posts on this topic inspired me to purchase from Amazon the book {Exploration & Exchange, a south seas anthology 1680-1900, the university of Chicago press} which did force me to give the early missionaries just a little amount of respect. It cannot have been much fun having human body parts tossed into your compound even if your impossition was unwelcome.

[Tim Simmons]

This is quite interesting?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ethodists.html