Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Tim Simmons · 23rd August 2010, 08:11 PM

Ron thanks for your reply. I find stone so fasinating and with the right mind a live material.

Here are some extracts from "The Kukukuku of the Upper Watut, Beatrice Blackwood, Pitt Rivers museum" on types and the making of round head clubs. When she talks about oval club heads she is mentioning oval by basically one unit of measurment, which I think would not greatly affect the balance of a fighting club. The link provides pictures of round club head making-

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=guinea

I am very lucky to have one of these clubs which I show along with an Australian hammer stone. I aquired these with the help of fellow members { by good fortune I had a few swap items they were interseted in} they know who they are, I am very grateful.

The Australian hammer stone 17cm long, clearly shows pecking and grinding. One side ground more smooth. This apparant roughness is an Austratin feature in stone tools. I myself do not see it as rough but just a sophisticated artistic play with surface texture. Clearly they could have ground smooth or even to a polish. Anyway extreme as it may be it does show what you are looking at and I suggest that the Kukukuku disc club heads are pecked and ground, only ground to a more smooth surface.

Lastly I ask you all to indulge me by allowing me to show a piece of my limestone handicraft, a chalice based on the ball of human thigh bones diametre much the same as the stone disc.

P.S. Ms Blackwood would have been in her mid twenties when she made these studies. She suffered harsh conditions and health problems so we have observations only. Also she was under some official governace so she was not living with the seldom or wild uncontacted Kukukuku.

23rd August 2010, 08:11 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,842	Stone, my mind has turned to stone. Ron thanks for your reply. I find stone so fasinating and with the right mind a live material. Here are some extracts from "The Kukukuku of the Upper Watut, Beatrice Blackwood, Pitt Rivers museum" on types and the making of round head clubs. When she talks about oval club heads she is mentioning oval by basically one unit of measurment, which I think would not greatly affect the balance of a fighting club. The link provides pictures of round club head making- http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=guinea I am very lucky to have one of these clubs which I show along with an Australian hammer stone. I aquired these with the help of fellow members { by good fortune I had a few swap items they were interseted in} they know who they are, I am very grateful. The Australian hammer stone 17cm long, clearly shows pecking and grinding. One side ground more smooth. This apparant roughness is an Austratin feature in stone tools. I myself do not see it as rough but just a sophisticated artistic play with surface texture. Clearly they could have ground smooth or even to a polish. Anyway extreme as it may be it does show what you are looking at and I suggest that the Kukukuku disc club heads are pecked and ground, only ground to a more smooth surface. Lastly I ask you all to indulge me by allowing me to show a piece of my limestone handicraft, a chalice based on the ball of human thigh bones diametre much the same as the stone disc. P.S. Ms Blackwood would have been in her mid twenties when she made these studies. She suffered harsh conditions and health problems so we have observations only. Also she was under some official governace so she was not living with the seldom or wild uncontacted Kukukuku. Attached Images Last edited by Tim Simmons; 23rd August 2010 at 09:02 PM.