OBSIDIAN WEAPONS FROM ADMIRALTY ISLANDS

VANDOO · 20th October 2016, 05:57 AM

THE PERCUSSIVE METHOD OF STONE NAPPING IS THE OLDEST. OBSIDIAN IS EASY TO FRACTURE MAKING EXCELLENT KNIVES AND SPEARS WITH LONG SHARP EDGES. WHEN USING A MATERIAL LIKE THIS OBSIDIAN AND SOME OTHER TYPES OF STONE THAT FRACTURE LONG AND CLEAN WITH LONG SHARP EDGES THEY OFTEN STOP THERE. THIS TYPE OF POINT IS FOUND IN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AMERICA AS WELL AS IN THE REGION OF THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS AND PERHAPS IN OTHER REGIONS. THE PERCUSSION AND PRESSURE FLAKING TECHNIQUE CAME ABOUT LATER MOSTLY TO DEAL WITH SHAPING MORE DIFFICULT TYPES OF STONE AND TO MAKE SMALLER MORE COMPLICATED SHAPES. THE MOST TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE POINTS WERE MADE USING THE OLD PERCUSSIVE TECHNIQUES AND THE CLOVIS AND FOLSOM POINTS DEVELOPED OVER 10 THOUSAND YEARS AGO WERE THE VERY BEST. THE PRESSURE FLAKING IS PRETTY AND EFFICIENT BUT NO DOUBT CAME ABOUT IN LATER TIMES.

VANDOO · 22nd October 2016, 02:02 AM

#1. FLAKES OR SPALL , OFF A STONE CORE, TOOLS FOR PERCUSSION FLAKING. A ANTLER HAMMER AND AN ANVIL STONE TO PLACE THE STONE CORE ON FOR HAMMER FOR STRIKING OFF FLAKES.
#2., #3. & #4. EXAMPLES OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL KNIVES DIFFERENT MATERIAL BUT SAME TYPE OF POINTS.
#5. PALEO POINTS, PERCUSSION FLAKING MOST DIFFICULT AND BEST FLAKING TECHNIQUES FOLSOM, CLOVIS, DALTON

VANDOO · 12th December 2016, 06:57 PM

THREE MORE OBSIDIAN POINTED SPEARS FROM THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS

motan · 13th December 2016, 11:10 AM

Thanks Vandoo for posting this. I don't know anything about the them, but besides the great esthetic beauty, these tools are infomative for me. I collect stone-age flints in the fields on and off for decades. Flints are often all that remains from these distant ages and reconstructions in pre-historic museums are usually poor and over-primitive. Your artifacts help me visualize how advanced the material culture could have been, 10, 50 thousand years ago or even earlier.

VANDOO · 14th December 2016, 08:02 PM

THANKS FOR THE REPLY.

I HAVE HUNTED STONE POINTS FOR MANY YEARS AND AS YOU MENTION ALL WE FIND IS THE POINTS AND TOOLS OFTEN WORN AND POLISHED BY HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN A RIVER BED. NOTHING REMAINS TO TELL US HOW THEY WERE ATTACHED OR DECORATED DURING THOSE TIMES.
THESE MORE RECENT TRIBAL GROUPS CAN GIVE US A CLUE AS TO THE WIDE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES, NOW LONG LOST IN TIME OF THE MANY PEOPLES BEFORE US. TODAY'S FLINT NAPPERS HAVE LEARNED MOST OF THE TECHNIQUES USED BY THE ANCIENTS, THOUGH MANY ARTIFACTS CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED EVEN BY THE BEST. EXAMPLES IN STONE EXIST IN PLENTY BUT EXAMPLES OF ADHESIVES, SHAFTS, HANDLES AND DECORATIONS ARE VERY FEW.
#1. AN EXAMPLE OF A SHAFT AND OBSIDIAN ADZE BLADE FROM THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS.
#2., #3. & #4. OBSIDIAN POINTS FROM EASTER ISLAND THEY ARE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS SPEAR POINTS BUT MOST LIKELY ARE ADZE BLADES. THE ADZE IS MOSTLY A TOOL BUT CAN ALSO FUNCTION WELL AS A WEAPON. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY COMPLETE EXAMPLES FROM EASTER ISLAND.

VANDOO · 9th January 2017, 10:50 PM

A UNUSUAL ADMIRALTY ISLANDS CLUB WITH OBSIDIAN SPIKES 39 INCHES LONG

motan · 10th January 2017, 07:16 AM

Hi VANDOO,
Sorry for the late response. The items you show in your one-before-last post are reminicen in shape to those from the Aterian culture of the Sahara that started around 140,000 YBP. They have been interpreted as projectile points because they are the earliest tanged pieces. It was even postulated that they indicate the first development of bow and arrow. However, many have a thick and rounded front edge and I was wondering about their usefulness as projectile points. Later interpretation describes the rounded tip artifacts as "tanged scrapers" (???).
Looking at your examples it can be postulated that the tanged artifacts of the Aterian indicate the development of HAFTING on a wide scale and for different purposes (adzes, knifes, axes etc, but maybe also projectiles) more than anything else. This example illustrates the usefulness of recent tribal artifacts and techniques to the research of the stone age. Thanks,
Eytan

9th January 2017, 10:50 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A UNUSUAL ADMIRALTY ISLANDS CLUB WITH OBSIDIAN SPIKES 39 INCHES LONG Attached Images

10th January 2017, 07:16 AM	#7
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Aterian similarity Hi VANDOO, Sorry for the late response. The items you show in your one-before-last post are reminicen in shape to those from the Aterian culture of the Sahara that started around 140,000 YBP. They have been interpreted as projectile points because they are the earliest tanged pieces. It was even postulated that they indicate the first development of bow and arrow. However, many have a thick and rounded front edge and I was wondering about their usefulness as projectile points. Later interpretation describes the rounded tip artifacts as "tanged scrapers" (???). Looking at your examples it can be postulated that the tanged artifacts of the Aterian indicate the development of HAFTING on a wide scale and for different purposes (adzes, knifes, axes etc, but maybe also projectiles) more than anything else. This example illustrates the usefulness of recent tribal artifacts and techniques to the research of the stone age. Thanks, Eytan Attached Images

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

20th October 2016, 05:57 AM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE PERCUSSIVE METHOD OF STONE NAPPING IS THE OLDEST. OBSIDIAN IS EASY TO FRACTURE MAKING EXCELLENT KNIVES AND SPEARS WITH LONG SHARP EDGES. WHEN USING A MATERIAL LIKE THIS OBSIDIAN AND SOME OTHER TYPES OF STONE THAT FRACTURE LONG AND CLEAN WITH LONG SHARP EDGES THEY OFTEN STOP THERE. THIS TYPE OF POINT IS FOUND IN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AMERICA AS WELL AS IN THE REGION OF THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS AND PERHAPS IN OTHER REGIONS. THE PERCUSSION AND PRESSURE FLAKING TECHNIQUE CAME ABOUT LATER MOSTLY TO DEAL WITH SHAPING MORE DIFFICULT TYPES OF STONE AND TO MAKE SMALLER MORE COMPLICATED SHAPES. THE MOST TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE POINTS WERE MADE USING THE OLD PERCUSSIVE TECHNIQUES AND THE CLOVIS AND FOLSOM POINTS DEVELOPED OVER 10 THOUSAND YEARS AGO WERE THE VERY BEST. THE PRESSURE FLAKING IS PRETTY AND EFFICIENT BUT NO DOUBT CAME ABOUT IN LATER TIMES.

22nd October 2016, 02:02 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#1. FLAKES OR SPALL , OFF A STONE CORE, TOOLS FOR PERCUSSION FLAKING. A ANTLER HAMMER AND AN ANVIL STONE TO PLACE THE STONE CORE ON FOR HAMMER FOR STRIKING OFF FLAKES. #2., #3. & #4. EXAMPLES OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL KNIVES DIFFERENT MATERIAL BUT SAME TYPE OF POINTS. #5. PALEO POINTS, PERCUSSION FLAKING MOST DIFFICULT AND BEST FLAKING TECHNIQUES FOLSOM, CLOVIS, DALTON Attached Images

12th December 2016, 06:57 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THREE MORE OBSIDIAN POINTED SPEARS FROM THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS Attached Images

13th December 2016, 11:10 AM	#4
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Beautiful! Thanks Vandoo for posting this. I don't know anything about the them, but besides the great esthetic beauty, these tools are infomative for me. I collect stone-age flints in the fields on and off for decades. Flints are often all that remains from these distant ages and reconstructions in pre-historic museums are usually poor and over-primitive. Your artifacts help me visualize how advanced the material culture could have been, 10, 50 thousand years ago or even earlier.

14th December 2016, 08:02 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THANKS FOR THE REPLY. I HAVE HUNTED STONE POINTS FOR MANY YEARS AND AS YOU MENTION ALL WE FIND IS THE POINTS AND TOOLS OFTEN WORN AND POLISHED BY HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN A RIVER BED. NOTHING REMAINS TO TELL US HOW THEY WERE ATTACHED OR DECORATED DURING THOSE TIMES. THESE MORE RECENT TRIBAL GROUPS CAN GIVE US A CLUE AS TO THE WIDE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES, NOW LONG LOST IN TIME OF THE MANY PEOPLES BEFORE US. TODAY'S FLINT NAPPERS HAVE LEARNED MOST OF THE TECHNIQUES USED BY THE ANCIENTS, THOUGH MANY ARTIFACTS CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED EVEN BY THE BEST. EXAMPLES IN STONE EXIST IN PLENTY BUT EXAMPLES OF ADHESIVES, SHAFTS, HANDLES AND DECORATIONS ARE VERY FEW. #1. AN EXAMPLE OF A SHAFT AND OBSIDIAN ADZE BLADE FROM THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. #2., #3. & #4. OBSIDIAN POINTS FROM EASTER ISLAND THEY ARE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS SPEAR POINTS BUT MOST LIKELY ARE ADZE BLADES. THE ADZE IS MOSTLY A TOOL BUT CAN ALSO FUNCTION WELL AS A WEAPON. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY COMPLETE EXAMPLES FROM EASTER ISLAND. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 14th December 2016 at 08:20 PM.