OBSIDIAN WEAPONS FROM ADMIRALTY ISLANDS

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

VANDOO · 10th January 2017, 05:34 PM

THANKS FOR THE POST AND PICTURES. WE HAVE SIMILAR BLUNT POINTS IN NORTH AMERICA AND I SUSPECT THEY OCCUR WHEREVER STONE POINTS OCCUR. SOME START OUT AS SCRAPER OR ADZ POINTS EITHER THROUGH DESIGN OR BECAUSE OF THE SHAPE AND POSSIBILITY'S OF THE STONE FLAKE.
OTHERS ARE PROBABLY FASHIONED FROM BROKEN SPEAR POINTS WHICH ARE RE-KNAPPED TO WHAT WE REFER TO HERE AS BLUNTS.
I SUSPECT OBSIDIAN BLADES WERE INSET INTO WAR CLUBS AND SPEARS ON EASTER ISLAND IN SIMILAR FASHION TO THE WEAPONS USED ON THE MAINLAND OF SOUTH AMERICA.
WE CAN FANTASIZE ABOUT THE DESIGNS AND ART ON STONE AGE TOOLS AND WEAPONS BUT WE CAN ALSO BE SURE THEY WERE THERE. THE ANCIENT ART WORK ON OVERHANGS AND IN CAVES THE WORLD OVER SHOW STONE AGE MAN APPRECIATED ART, COLOR AND DESIGN FROM THE BEGINNING.
HERE ARE TWO FRAMES OF BLUNT POINTS MOST LIKELY MADE FROM VARIOUS TYPES OF POINTS OR KNIVES. NORTH AMERICAN.

VANDOO · 15th January 2017, 07:41 PM

CEREMONIAL FISH KNIFE COMPLETE WITH OBSIDIAN BLADE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS

josh stout · 23rd January 2017, 12:47 AM

And that fish is clearly a shark.

VANDOO · 31st January 2017, 01:57 AM

HERE IS A INTERESTING ADMIRALTY ISLANDS DAGGER. IT HAS 3 STINGRAY TAIL BARBS AND A LONGER BONE SPIKE. THE HANDLE IS DECORATED IN THE USUAL WAY USING TRADITIONAL MATERIALS.

15th January 2017, 07:41 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	CEREMONIAL FISH KNIFE COMPLETE WITH OBSIDIAN BLADE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS Attached Images

31st January 2017, 01:57 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE IS A INTERESTING ADMIRALTY ISLANDS DAGGER. IT HAS 3 STINGRAY TAIL BARBS AND A LONGER BONE SPIKE. THE HANDLE IS DECORATED IN THE USUAL WAY USING TRADITIONAL MATERIALS. Attached Images

14th December 2016, 08:02 PM	#1
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.

9th January 2017, 10:50 PM	#2
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	#3
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

10th January 2017, 05:34 PM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THANKS FOR THE POST AND PICTURES. WE HAVE SIMILAR BLUNT POINTS IN NORTH AMERICA AND I SUSPECT THEY OCCUR WHEREVER STONE POINTS OCCUR. SOME START OUT AS SCRAPER OR ADZ POINTS EITHER THROUGH DESIGN OR BECAUSE OF THE SHAPE AND POSSIBILITY'S OF THE STONE FLAKE. OTHERS ARE PROBABLY FASHIONED FROM BROKEN SPEAR POINTS WHICH ARE RE-KNAPPED TO WHAT WE REFER TO HERE AS BLUNTS. I SUSPECT OBSIDIAN BLADES WERE INSET INTO WAR CLUBS AND SPEARS ON EASTER ISLAND IN SIMILAR FASHION TO THE WEAPONS USED ON THE MAINLAND OF SOUTH AMERICA. WE CAN FANTASIZE ABOUT THE DESIGNS AND ART ON STONE AGE TOOLS AND WEAPONS BUT WE CAN ALSO BE SURE THEY WERE THERE. THE ANCIENT ART WORK ON OVERHANGS AND IN CAVES THE WORLD OVER SHOW STONE AGE MAN APPRECIATED ART, COLOR AND DESIGN FROM THE BEGINNING. HERE ARE TWO FRAMES OF BLUNT POINTS MOST LIKELY MADE FROM VARIOUS TYPES OF POINTS OR KNIVES. NORTH AMERICAN. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 10th January 2017 at 06:42 PM.

23rd January 2017, 12:47 AM	#6
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	And that fish is clearly a shark.