Friday, June 5, 2009

Not so primitive


Here's a great site to explore for a wide range of bushcraft skills. The Wildwood Survival site offers very detailed instructions and practical advice on traditional and primitive survival skills. When I say primitive I am referring to flint knapping etc. Although I should point out that primitive is a deceptive term and perhaps inappropriate for discussing technology from humanities distant past.


Flint knapping is an exceptionally difficult task particularly if you are trying to replicate the tools utilised over the last 50 thousand years. I majored in Archaeology at university and devoted many hours to replicating indigenous stone tools. End result a huge appreciation for the knowledge and skills of our ancestors. At it's zenith some stone axes required over 100 individual strikes on the blank to create the final product. The practitioner had an in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of the raw material, flint, obsidian etc, and artisan skill in executing complicated designs.


Enjoy!

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