DOCSLIB.ORG

On Some Remarkable Discoveries of Rude Stone Imple- Ments in Shetland Arthuy B

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On Some Remarkable Discoveries of Rude Stone Imple- Ments in Shetland Arthuy B III. ON SOME REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES OF RUDE STONE IMPLE- MENTS IN SHETLAND ARTHUY B . R MITCHELL, M.D., F.S.A. SCOT. In consequence of discoveries in the island of Unst, by Mr Edmondston of Buness, the Earl of Zetland was induced to place a sum of money at. the disposal of the Anthropological Society, to he expended on further antiquarian researche n Shetlandi s increases . wa donaThia m y dsu sb - tion from the Society itself, and Dr Hunt and Mr Ealph Tate were deputed to go north in the summer of 1865, and conduct the explorations. Mr George Petrie f Kirkwallo , s fortunatelwa , y abl joio t e n themt I . happened thaoccasionae th t l visi Shetlano t whicy mads pa t wa I hdea the timo these gentlemen thus werd advantage ha th e I there d f o ean , ON RUDE STONE IMPLEMENTS FOUND IN SHETLAND. 119 hearing muc f whaf seein ho doneo s d wa t gan , such object s theia s- ex r plorations brought to light. The absence in Shetland of those underground or semi-underground structures, commowhico s e h ar n Orkneyni s ofteha , n been pointet dou and commenter Hunt'D d san , attentiodon directes n wa spo a o dt where such a structure was said to exist, as one likely to yield results which would repa laboue yth d expensran a carefu f o e l exploration e spoTh t• . t Safestera alludee pariss i th f Sandstingn o o hi t d, wese th tn o sid, e of the mainland, and is close to a notable tumulus. Having obtained e permissioth e proprietorth f nr o Petri M r Hun D d ,e an tcommence d operations, and they very soon came upon some sort of rude and ruinous building, only a few feet below the surface. In the earth which workmee th n threw out, stone peculiaa f so r form attracted attentiond an , on examination they were thought to exhibit signs of having been manu- factured. On looking round, many of these stones were seen lying on the surface of the ground, and on instituting a careful search many more were obtained soie , surfacee th eithel th immediateln i n r ro o , y above eth structure alluded to, or in the structure itself. The last locality, how- ever, was the least rich, and the surface, I believe, yielded more than the t together—thpu otheo tw r e whole find amounting I ,think o somt , e hundreds. undergroune Th d structure with which they were associated (see fig) 1 . was about 45 feet long, and had a width varying from 16 to 19 inches, and a height of 2 to 2-| feet. One end was closed up, and there a squarish Fig. 1.—Underground Building at Safester (Section and Ground-plan). expansion occurred, whic s nowherwa h e wider tha 0 inches3 e n Th . sides were perpendicular—havin o tendencn g o converge—ant y e th d workmanship was extremely rude. The lintels were large and flattish, and many were displaced. There is good reason, indeed, for believing that 120 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 18C7. the spot was examined about 30 years ago by that eident antiquary, Mr Brydone, the minister of the parish, who is said to have found many stone weapons there. If he did so, it is probable that they consisted of usuae th l polished celt d knivess attentiohi an s r fo , n doe t appeasno o t r have been caught by objects fashioned so rudely as those now under consideration. The structure was filled with earth and stones, and in this rubbis he implement somth f o e s were discovered, but s alreada , y stated t nearle soie no th , l th mano n y ovei s n e lintels o s th ya r d an , surface of the cultivated ground, over an area of one to two hundred yard diametern si . Fig. 2.—Elevation of underground Structure at Eriboll, Sutherlandshire. Fig. 3.—Ground-pla dittof no . This underground building was puzzlingly rude, insignificant, and meaningless. At first sight it looked' like a drain, but it was too large for that, though barely large enough for anything else. Besides, it could not have bee propee ndraia th n ni r sense somn i s a ,e place flooe sth r rosd ean fell with the surface of the underlying rock. I have not seen a similar structure in any part of Scotland. That, perhaps, which most nearly approache e eartth hs i hous, it s t Eribolea l, whic (se3) ed I h figs an 2 . described to the Society some time ago, but even between these two the distanc n styl ei desig d et an Safeste a vers n i pose y yon - ma rgreate Th . sibly have been underground to some overground structure, but if so, no trace remaine superterraneae th f do n edifice—the whole surface being under ON RUDE STONE IMPLEMENTS FOUN SHETLANDN DI 1 12 . crop. It was suggested to me that it might have been a grave, begun at the close witd firse den hth t interment added t eaca an , o hdt succeeding interment I lear. n tha similaa t r suggestio bees nha n mad referencn ei e ruine somo t th Brittanyf n sei o . No thing, however founs ,t wa Safeste da r to give support to such a theory. Another view of its use naturally sug- gests itself—viz., that it had been a store or hiding-place for these hand- fashioned stones t againsbu ; t thi e sfacts th ther e , ar e tha e stoneth t s were found in smaller numbers within than without it, and that we know nothing of the man who could creep into and out of such a structure in order to deposit or withdraw the implements. In short, I have no weln theorca l I believe uses advanco t yt it ye ;o t , s t ea weri tha f i te known, there would be little about it of the wonderful. The large tumulus, clos o whicet h this structur s situated,ei alss owa examine Dy dfouns b r Hunt wa consis o t dd an , f smalo t l broken stones (which had been exposed to the action of fire), and to contain a built chamber, in a state of too great ruin, however, to permit of its plan being made out. It is worthy of remark, in passing, that many, both of the larg smald ean l green tumul Shetlann i d consis f smalo t l burnt stones,— not waterworn and rounded, but irregular and angular fragments of large stones. When I first saw the collection of worked stones from Safester, I felt much inclined to doubt their having been fashioned by the hand of man; them w t whesa bu largeI n againi d ran , numbers, these doubts were dissipated. It was impossible, I felt, to resist the belief that they were the produc humaf o t n action thad an ,t purposa ther s ewa thein ei r design. The day after I had an opportunity of examining the entire Safester find, it happened that I halted for the night at the house of a very intelli- gent Shetlandercourse th f conversation ei o d an , e nI describe th m hi o dt rude implement seenwend e H ha t. I sstraightwa s gardenhi o yt , and, much to my surprise, brought me a rude implement, which he said had been found at a place called Houland, over which, he added, I should have^to ride next day. He told me further that many had been found there, and that he had carried away about a dozen, which had all been los destroyedr o t . e show, Otheexcepme on o e t nr th t people e saidh , , had carried away those displaying the best workmanship; but, as they had been turned up in great numbers, he felt sure that many would still 122 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBKUAKY 1867. he found in the rubbish near the spot. According to his description, the workmen, while deep trenching some waste land, caine upon a building whic s undergroundwa h s necessard whicwa an , t i h o removet y t bu ; whethe workee th r d stones were found abovethin i sr o buildin coule gh d not say. He thought, however, that in the heaps of rubbish, which had been wheeled beyond the enclosure or infield, I should still find many worked stones, but that they would, probably, for the reasons given, con- rudee th sis f ro t forms. Next day I was made aware that I had. reached the spot he had •spoke y seeinb f no g suc implemenn a h s thosa t e from Safestey m t a r horse' lyins swa g feet t closI .severa o et l heap stonesf so I dismounte. d and picked it up, and in less than five minutes I found fifteen more. I carried thes crofter'a o et s house, whic neas t hhandwa ra ; an shown do - ing them, I was at once presented - with a casie1 full, lying in a corner of the room under a heap of peats. Among these was a finely-polished oval "knife f hornblendio c rock.. The people of the cottage undertook to convey my find, which in a quarte houn d becoma ha f ro r e very e heavynearesth o t ,t merchant, through whom it eventually reached Edinburgh.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Parsons Site Ground Stone Artifacts
    84 _______________________________ ONTARIOARCHAEOLOGY _____________________ No. 65/66, 1998 PARSONS SITE GROUND STONE ARTIFACTS Martin S. Cooper INTRODUCTION Two poll end fragments were recovered, both exhibiting battering at the distal end. One of the poll fragments, which is longitudinally A total of 30 ground stone artifacts was split, is polished on its exterior surface. The recovered, including the bit portions of nine other poll portion is trianguloid in cross section celts, eight additional celt fragments, one and has remnant polishing on all three sur- charmstone or pendant preform, a fragment of faces. The remaining probable celt fragments a stone pipe bowl, one whetstone, a portion of include four pieces that have at least one a large metate, four possible abraders, five polished surface and a spall flake that was hammerstones, and one anvilstone. removed from the bit end of a tool, probably due to impact. DESCRIPTION Charm/Possible Pendant Preform Celts An artifact manufactured from fossiliferous The celt fragments consist of nine bit por- red shale was recovered from a post in the tions (Table 43),'two poll (butt) ends, and five east wall of House 8. This possible charmstone generalized fragments. All of these fragmentary or pendant preform is a flat, ovoid pebble, tools are made from hornblende/chlorite measuring 33 mm in length, 21 mm in width schist. The size of these tools is quite variable and 5 mm in thickness. While the lateral edges ranging from 8 g for the smallest to 351 g for of the pebble have been carefully rounded, the largest. On all nine of the bit portions, and both flat surfaces are highly polished, it is crushing and flaking at the bit end together neither notched nor drilled for suspension.
    [Show full text]
  • The Necklace As a Divine Symbol and As a Sign of Dignity in the Old Norse Conception
    MARIANNE GÖRMAN The Necklace as a Divine Symbol and as a Sign of Dignity in the Old Norse Conception Introduction In the last century a wooden sculpture, 42 cm tall, was found in a small peat-bog at Rude-Eskildstrup in the parish of Munke Bjergby near Soro in Denmark. (Picture 1) The figure was found standing right up in the peat with its head ca. 30 cm below the surface. The sculpture represents a sit- ting man, dressed in a long garment with two crossed bands on its front. His forehead is low, his eyes are tight, his nose is large, and he wears a moustache and a pointed chin-beard. Part of his right arm is missing, while his left arm is undamaged. On his knee he holds an object resembling a bag. Around his neck he wears a robust trisected necklace.1 At the bottom the sculpture is finished with a peg, which indicates that it was once at- tached to a base, which is now missing (Mackeprang 1935: 248-249). It is regarded as an offering and is usually interpreted as depicting a Nordic god or perhaps a priest (Holmqvist 1980: 99-100; Ström 1967: 65). The wooden sculpture from Rude-Eskildstrup is unique of its kind. But his characteristic trisected necklace is of the same type as three famous golden collars from Västergötland and Öland. The sculpture as well as the golden necklaces belong to the Migration Period, ca. 400-550 A.D. From this period of our prehistory we have the most frequent finds of gold, and very many of the finds from this period are neck-ornaments.
    [Show full text]
  • Locating an Antiquarian Initiative in a Late 19Th Century Colonial
    th Basak, B. 2020. Locating an Antiquarian Initiative in a Late 19 Century Colonial Bofulletin the History of Archaeology Landscape: Rivett-Carnac and the Cultural Imagining of the Indian Sub-Continent. Bulletin of the History of Archaeology, 30(1): 1, pp. 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/bha-610 RESEARCH PAPER: ASIA/PACIFIC Locating an Antiquarian Initiative in a Late 19th Century Colonial Landscape: Rivett-Carnac and the Cultural Imagining of the Indian Sub-Continent Bishnupriya Basak In this paper I seek to understand antiquarian practices in a colonial context in the Indian sub-continent with reference to J.H. Rivett-Carnac who was a member of the Bengal Civil Service. Covering varied subjects like ‘ancient cup marks on rocks,’ spindle whorls, votive seals or a solitary Buddha figure, Rivett- Carnac’s writings reflect an imagining of a native landscape with wide-ranging connections in myths, symbolisms and material cultures which cross-cut geographical borders. I show how an epistemology of comparative archaeology was formed through the ways in which he compared evidence recorded from different parts of India to those documented in Great Britain and northern Europe. This was held together by ideas of tribal/racial migrations. I am arguing that a distinctive form of antiquarianism was unfolding in an ambiguous, interstitial space which deconstructs any neat binaries between the colonizer and the colonized. Recent researches have argued for many antiquarianisms which this paper upholds. With his obsession of cup marks Rivett-Carnac built a new set of interconnections in late 19th century Britain where the Antiquity of man was the pivot around which debates and theories circulated.
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting the Achievements of the Ancient Celts
    University of Louisville ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses College of Arts & Sciences 5-2013 Revisiting the achievements of the Ancient Celts : evidence that the Celtic civilization surpassed contemporary European civilizations in its technical sophistication and social complexity, and continues to influence later cultures. Adam Dahmer University of Louisville Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/honors Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Dahmer, Adam, "Revisiting the achievements of the Ancient Celts : evidence that the Celtic civilization surpassed contemporary European civilizations in its technical sophistication and social complexity, and continues to influence later cultures." (2013). College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses. Paper 11. http://doi.org/10.18297/honors/11 This Senior Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts & Sciences at ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has retained all other copyrights. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Dahmer 1 A Lost Civilization as Great as Any Scholars traditionally associate the advancement of Western culture from antiquity to the Renaissance with the innovations of the Romans and their Mediterranean cultural predecessors, the Greeks and Etruscans, to the extent that the word "civilization" often seems synonymous with Romanization. In doing so, historians unfairly discount the cultural achievements of other Indo-European peoples who achieved civilization in their own right and contributed much to ancient and modern life.
    [Show full text]
  • Celts Ancient and Modern: Recent Controversies in Celtic Studies
    Celts Ancient and Modern: Recent Controversies in Celtic Studies John R. Collis As often happens in conferences on Celtic Studies, I was the only contributor at Helsinki who was talking about archaeology and the Ancient Celts. This has been a controversial subject since the 1980s when archaeologists started to apply to the question of the Celts the changes of paradigm, which had impacted on archaeology since the 1960s and 1970s. This caused fundamental changes in the way in which we treat archaeological evidence, both the theoretical basis of what we are doing and the methodologies we use, and even affecting the sorts of sites we dig and what of the finds we consider important. Initially it was a conflict among archaeologists, but it has also spilt over into other aspects of Celtic Studies in what has been termed ‘Celtoscepticism’. In 2015–2016 the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland put on exhibitions (Farley and Hunter 2015) based largely on these new approaches, raising again the conflicts from the 1990s between traditional Celticists, and those who are advocates of the new approaches (‘New Celticists’), but it also revived, especially in the popular press, misinformation about what the conflicts are all about. Celtoscepticism comes from a Welsh term celtisceptig invented by the poet and novelist Robin Llywelin, and translated into English and applied to Celtic Studies by Patrick Sims-Williams (1998); it is used for people who do not consider that the ancient people of Britain should be called Celts as they had never been so-called in the Ancient World.
    [Show full text]
  • Dartmoor Barrows and Kistvaens
    DARTMOOR BARROWS AND KISTVAENS FORM AND STRUCTURE OF BARROWS BARROW is essentially an artificial mound raised on the site of one or more interments. Varying with the period and with the race erecting the barrow, it may in plan be either round, Along (i.e. elliptical or ovoid), or may assume a more complex form, such for instance as that of a ship. All known Devonshire barrows are of the round type. The diameter at the base of the Devonshire barrows varies from 9 or 10 to 120 ft and over. The present height above the surrounding ground varies from a barely perceptible mound to a heap 12 ft high, and possibly more. Although very small barrows frequently prove disappointing on excavation, it must not be thought that the probable yield of any can be estimated pro rata to the size. The mounds are made in various ways and of varying materials. Where stone of convenient size was readily obtainable the barrow usually became a cairn formed of stone only; where stone was practic­ ally absent earth and soil were used; where stone was sparingly obtain­ able the centre of the barrow is frequently a small cairn, and this is covered with soil to a greater or less depth. CAIRNS These are more usually found in the Dartmoor area, although by no means infrequent elsewhere. Off Dartmoor barrows constructed wholly of stone are usually of small size. A complete list of the known cairns would be much too long for insertion here. On Dartmoor, Drizzlecombe, Pen Beacon, and Three Barrows Tor yield excellent examples of the larger size; while small examples are found at Cosdon, Raddick Hill, Shaugh Lake, and else­ where.
    [Show full text]
  • Southern Florida Sites Associated with the Tequesta and Their Ancestors
    Southern Florida Sites associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors National Historic Landmark/National Register of Historic Places Theme Study Prepared by: Florida Division of Historical Resources R. A. Gray Building 500 S. Bronough Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 May 2004 Revised, November 2004 NPS Form 10-900-b OMB Approval No. 1024—0018 (Rev. Aug 2002) (Expires Jan. 2005) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form This form is used for documenting multiple property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (National Register Bulletin 16B). Complete each item by entering the requested information. For additional space, use continuation sheets (Form 10-900-a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items. __X__ New Submission ____ Amended Submission A. Name of Multiple Property Listing Southern Florida Sites Associated with the Tequesta and their Ancestors B. Associated Historic Contexts (Name each associated historic context, identifying theme, geographical area, and chronological period for each.) Archaic Origins of the Tequesta ca. 10,000-500 B.C. Development of Glades Pottery 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Settlement Patterns 2500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Plant and Animal Use among the Tequesta 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Mortuary Practices 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Earthwork Building 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Exchange Networks 2500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Tequesta Art and Aesthetics 500 B.C.-A.D. 1763 Sociopolitical Development 500 B.C.-A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prehistory of Polish Pomerania
    THE BALTIC POCKET LIBRARY THE PREHISTORY OF POLISH POMERANIA BY DR. JÓZEF KOSTRZEWSKI PROFESSOR OF PREHISTORY*^!' THE UNIVERSITY OF POZNAŃ 1 9 TORUŃ (POLAND)3_6 PUBLISHED BY THE BALTIC INSTITUTE J. S. BERGSON, 4, VERNON PLACE, LONDON W. C. 1 THE PREHISTORY OF POLISH POMERANIA r Double face urn and bronze cauldron of provincial workmanship, found at Topolno, district of Świecie. I 4 Ki THE BALTIC POCKET LIBRARY THE PREHISTORY OF POLISH POMERANIA BY DR. JÓZEF KOSTRZEWSKI PROFESSOR OF PREHISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF POZNAŃ 19 TORUŃ (POLAND) 3 6 PUBLISHED BY THE BALTIC INSTITUTE J. S. BERGSON, 4, VERNON PLACE, LONDON W. C, 1 Printed in Poland by “Rolnicza Drukarnia i Księgarnia Nakładowa Poznań, Sew. Mielżyńskiego 24 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................5 CHAPTER 1. THE STONE AGE......................................................... 9 The Final Palaeolithic Period, p. 9. The Mesolithic Age, p. 10. The Neolithic Age, p. 13; Ribbon Ware, p. 14; Funnel Cup Culture, p. 16; Eastern Globular Amphora Culture, p. 19; The Corded Pottery Culture, p. 21; The Rzucewo Culture, p. 24; The Comb Pottery, p. 29; Finds of Copper, p. 30. CHAPTER 2. THE BRONZE AGE....................................................32 The Early Bronze Age, p. 32; The Iwno Culture, p. 33; Hoards, p. 34. The Second Bronze Age Period, p. 36. The Third Bronze Age Period, p. 37; The Cassubian Local Group, p. 38; The Chełmno Local Group, p. 40; Affinities of the Lusatian Culture, p. 41. The Fourth Bronze Age Period, p. 43; The Cassubian Sub-Group, p. 43,; The Chełmno Sub-Groun, p. 46. The Fifth (Latest) Bronze Age Period, p. 49; The Cassubian Sub-Group, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Celtic Clothing: Bronze Age to the Sixth Century the Celts Were
    Celtic Clothing: Bronze Age to the Sixth Century Lady Brighid Bansealgaire ni Muirenn Celtic/Costumers Guild Meeting, 14 March 2017 The Celts were groups of people with linguistic and cultural similarities living in central Europe. First known to have existed near the upper Danube around 1200 BCE, Celtic populations spread across western Europe and possibly as far east as central Asia. They influenced, and were influenced by, many cultures, including the Romans, Greeks, Italians, Etruscans, Spanish, Thracians, Scythians, and Germanic and Scandinavian peoples. Chronology: Bronze Age: 18th-8th centuries BCE Hallstatt culture: 8th-6th centuries BCE La Tène culture: 6th century BCE – 1st century CE Iron Age: 500 BCE – 400 CE Roman period: 43-410 CE Post (or Sub) Roman: 410 CE - 6th century CE The Celts were primarily an oral culture, passing knowledge verbally rather than by written records. We know about their history from archaeological finds such as jewelry, textile fragments and human remains found in peat bogs or salt mines; written records from the Greeks and Romans, who generally considered the Celts as barbarians; Celtic artwork in stone and metal; and Irish mythology, although the legends were not written down until about the 12th century. Bronze Age: Egtved Girl: In 1921, the remains of a 16-18 year old girl were found in a barrow outside Egtved, Denmark. Her clothing included a short tunic, a wrap-around string skirt, a woolen belt with fringe, bronze jewelry and pins, and a hair net. Her coffin has been dated by dendrochronology (tree-trunk dating) to 1370 BCE. Strontium isotope analysis places her origin as south west Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prehistoric Use of Nephrite on the British Columbia Plateau
    The Prehistoric Use of Nephrite on the British Columbia Plateau John Darwent Archaeology Press Simon Fraser University 1998 The Prehistoric Use of Nephrite on the British Columbia Plateau By John Darwent Archaeology Press Simon Fraser University 1998 c. Archaeology Press 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without prior written consent of the publisher. Printed and bound in Canada ISBN 0-86491-189-0 Publication No. 25 Archaeology Press Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 (604)291-3135 Fax: (604) 291-5666 Editor: Roy L. Carlson Cover: Nephrite celts from near Lillooet, B.C. SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology Cat nos. 2750 and 2748 Table of Contents Acknowledgments v List of Tables vi List of Figures vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Types of Data 2 Ethnographic Information 2 Experimental Reconstruction 2 Context and Distribution 3 Artifact Observations 3 Analog Information 4 The Study Area . 4 Report Organization 4 2 Nephrite 6 Chemical and Physical Properties of Nephrite 6 Sources in the Pacific Northwest 6 Nephrite Sources in British Columbia 6 The Lillooet Segment 7 Omineca Segment 7 Cassiar Segment 7 Yukon and Alaska Nephrite Sources 8 Washington State and Oregon Nephrite Sources 8 Wyoming Nephrite Sources 9 Prehistoric Source Usage 9 Alternate Materials to Nephrite 10 Serpentine 10 Greenstone 10 Jadeite 10 Vesuvianite 10 3 Ethnographic and Archaeological Background of Nephrite Use 11 Ethnolinguistic Groups in the Study Area 11 Plateau Lifestyle 11 Cultural Complexity on the Plateau 11 Ethnographic Use of Nephrite .
    [Show full text]
  • Talking-Drum-June-2016
    A MISSIVE OF THE WHITE PINE WILDERNESS ACADEMY The celt on the other hand is much the adze. Most handles would be made amazing. These two pieces of history smaller, the length is only 5" and 2" out of hard woods. The celt, axe head will be passed down through more Celts wide, the thickness is a little over an and adze are all made by labor-inten- generations along with the stories by joel Spencer inch. The celt would be used to pick up sive and time-consuming grinding on behind them. I hope that more of where the axe head left off, making harder stones, which could take weeks these historical treasures will be found smaller and more precise chops due to until the desired shape would be on our land. It’s not every day historical treasures are its smaller size. achieved. After the initial shape has found on your land. I became interested been formed, sand would be used to in "Celts" from my grandparent's stone The adze is about 5" long, 3" wide, the polish and fine tune the shape. Celts, axe head, which was passed down from cross section is much thinner (1 1/2") along with axes and adzes, are known generations starting with my and has a curved edge and flat top, as stone tools. These tools have been great-grandfather. That axe head was unlike the celt and axe head that have dated back as far as the Stone Age Era. found on my family's farm (homestead- straight edges.
    [Show full text]
  • Lecture 02: What Is Technology? What Is History
    STS 007 Discovery of Prehistory The history of prehistory: or, historical and scientific studies How much development of modern science and modern historical studies are intertwined NB: Assign Steven Mithen, “Freedom Through Cooking,” NYRB , Oct. 22 2009, 44‐46. Also assign “Fire as an Engineering Tool of Early Modern Humans” And how much this affects what we know and how we think about “technology in history” Convergence of “natural history” and “natural philosophy” You can see this today in your examples Also in two optional readings on site for today – role of optional readings: giving you ideas for a project Part of a very exciting convergence – limits to written documents – other types of documents: in the land and in biology, also in linguistics – from written to other material record – “deep background conditions” (Bernard Bailyn) ‐ need to “cable together” different types of evidence (see Lewis‐Williams reading for next week) Archaeology, ethology, genetics, paleontology, anthropology, linguistics e.g. Jane Goodall going to Kenya July 14, 1961, to work where Leakey had been digging – to live with chimpanzees, became another thread in the skein (not skeletons but behavior: ethology) She actually took the time to study how chimpanzees live – they make tools, hunt animals, eat meat, and brutally kill members of their own species But you need to contextualize it – put it with other evidence – genetics, linguistics, archaeology, geology, conventional documents as available, imagination most of all Also: A long trend in historical studies to giving voice to the voiceless (women, children, workers…) Uncovering “people without history” “dark ages” as e.g.
    [Show full text]