OBSIDIAN WEAPONS FROM ADMIRALTY ISLANDS

VANDOO · 29th September 2016, 07:23 PM

THANKS FOR THE INTERESTING LINK ON THE KIMBERLY GLASS POINTS. THE NATIVE AMERICANS ALSO MADE GLASS POINTS. THE GLASS KIMBERLY POINTS ARE EAGERLY COLLECTED IN AUSTRALIA THESE DAYS. THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS HAD A LARGE SUPPLY OF GOOD QUALITY OBSIDIAN SO MADE MORE AND LARGER POINTS AND TRADED THEM THRU-OUT THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS. THEY DID NOT DO THE FINE PRESSURE TYPE FLAKING THAT YOU SEE ON THE KIMBERLY POINTS.

VANDOO · 18th October 2016, 01:38 AM

ANOTHER NICE EXAMPLE. "MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH" MAXWELL SMART
76 INCHES LONG

VANDOO · 19th October 2016, 04:38 PM

A OLD BOOK PLATE SHOWING 2 EXAMPLES OF THE OBSIDIAN SPEARS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM MICRONESIA.

Rick · 19th October 2016, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

THEY DID NOT DO THE FINE PRESSURE TYPE FLAKING THAT YOU SEE ON THE KIMBERLY POINTS.

Barry, any ideas on the reason for this?
When viewing these points this was the first question that popped into my mind.
Why so crude?

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.

22nd October 2016, 02:02 AM	#6
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	#7
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	#8
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	#9
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.

29th September 2016, 07:23 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THANKS FOR THE INTERESTING LINK ON THE KIMBERLY GLASS POINTS. THE NATIVE AMERICANS ALSO MADE GLASS POINTS. THE GLASS KIMBERLY POINTS ARE EAGERLY COLLECTED IN AUSTRALIA THESE DAYS. THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS HAD A LARGE SUPPLY OF GOOD QUALITY OBSIDIAN SO MADE MORE AND LARGER POINTS AND TRADED THEM THRU-OUT THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS. THEY DID NOT DO THE FINE PRESSURE TYPE FLAKING THAT YOU SEE ON THE KIMBERLY POINTS.

18th October 2016, 01:38 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	ANOTHER NICE EXAMPLE. "MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH" MAXWELL SMART 76 INCHES LONG Attached Images

19th October 2016, 04:38 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A OLD BOOK PLATE SHOWING 2 EXAMPLES OF THE OBSIDIAN SPEARS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM MICRONESIA. Attached Images

20th October 2016, 05:57 AM	#5
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.