Classification of Cleaver on the Basis of Its Functions: in Indian Context Gargi Chatterjee1 1. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India (Email: [email protected]) Received: 06 August 2016; Accepted: 11 September 2016; Revised: 03 October 2016 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 4 (2016): 503-514 Abstract: In the previous works, stone tools have been classified mainly on the basis of their shapes and sometimes on the basis of the medium on which these made (core/flake). Though the stone tools depict the daily life of primitive man; therefore it is imperative to focus on these tools in the light of their functions to understand the primitive subsistence more evidently. Keeping this riddle in mind the idea of the present topic has been initiated. In which ‘Cleaver’ has been taken for study and have been attempted to analyze & classify on the basis of its functions. In view of that, the working parts of the tools i.e. edge and butt have been considered as the basis of the classification. Keywords: Cleaver, Classification, Function, Edge, Butt, Subsistence, Primitive Introduction The techno-typological classification of tools, an exercise imperative for Stone Age studies, has grown as a meticulous method of analysis of attributes of artefacts. Though the nomenclatures used for the individual category of artefacts appears to suggest its use, the combination of attributes, mostly are not ascertained as per their functions. One also notices, at times, that one tool type has wide variation of forms, indicating multiple functions (Chatterjee 2012: 5). Cleaver is an illuminating example of such type, which has a range of forms. Therefore, the present study has been initiated to determine the relation between specific forms of Cleaver with the activities of primitive man. at the very outset, the overviews of important works on Cleaver, i.e. definitions, classifications, nomenclature and morphological characteristic defined and used by the previous scholars is going to be discussed which will help ascertaining the ground over which the present proposed study is based. Cleaver is ordinarily a tool with a transverse working edge (Bhattacharya 1979: 28). It is essentially a tool made on a broad, rectangular or rarely triangular or convex side flake or end flake (Sankalia 1964: 55). ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 4: 2016 Three parts of a cleaver: edge, butt and cross-section are important from morphological view point. Edge is the sharp end of a cleaver, which is called cleaver edge. This is the main working part of a cleaver. Different shapes of the working edge have been identified, like: straight, convex, concave, oblique etc. Butt is the opposite end of the cleaver. Mainly, two shapes of butt have been identified. They are: “U” shaped and “V” shaped butt. Four types of cross sections could be found in cleaver. They are: parallelogram-tic, trapezoidal, bi-convex and plano-convex. In the year 1956, J. Tixier had been proposed a six-fold classification for cleaver on the basis of the shape and size of the flakes, on which the cleavers are made. His study is mainly base on the African forms of Cleavers. The types are: Type ‘1’ to ‘6’. The technique had been used for manufacturing Claver is known as “Para-levalloisian” or “Victoria-West” or “Vaal” technique. The “Para-levalloisian Technique” is a complete process or a flake detaching sequence through which Cleaver could be prepared. In this process, initially the core had been prepared through several stages before flaking. For this method both stone hammer as well as soft hammer had been required. For this process one has to choose a boulder then has to flatten both the sides (lower and upper) of that boulder. Now, this flattened portion has been worked as the striking platform for the further process of core preparation. Then, on one side of it the striking platform has to be made in 90 ̊ angle by using soft hammer. Now, by a blow through stone hammer on the striking platform a big flake comes out. Lastly by doing high angled retouch on both the sides of the flake a finished Cleaver could have been prepared. On the contrary of the above discussed technique, at the site Nagarjunakonda (a site of Krishna valley) the Cleavers are made on broad massive flakes detached from unprepared core or boulder, which presenting a typical tool type of the industry. The technique employed for the manufacture of these Cleavers is an interesting feature of this assemblage. The projecting curvatures of the boulders, abundant in the area, have been utilized for controlling the shape of the flakes. In this case, there was no need for any extra preparation of the cores in order to get flakes with Cleaver edges. A heavy blow at the centre of the base of the projecting natural curvature was sufficient to produce the desired flake, i.e. a broad flake with Cleaver edge on one side. The flakes were then reworked on the sides to give them the final shape of Cleavers (Jayaswal, 1978: 122). Primitive Subsistence Before discussing the physical features of the individual artefacts one should focus on the primitive subsistence and the major activities of Stone Age man that helps to determine the functions of the tools. The primitive subsistence as a whole stands for man’s more or less absolute dependence on nature for both food and shelter. Hunting- gathering was adopted by prehistoric man for food collection. And for shelter they were more or less depended on nature directly (rock-shelter, tree-shade or tree-branch, 504 Chatterjee 2016: 503-514 open air) but ecologically adverse conditions prompted at times to make huts as is revealed by the excavated remains at Paisra, India and Terra-Amata, France. Thus the major activities of Stone Age man, particularly, the Acheulians may be narrowed down to hunting-gathering and shelter making (Table 1). Table 1: Major Events done by Acheulian Man Hunting and chasing and killing animal Butchery skinning animal after killing cutting and chopping meat breaking bones to extract marrow Gathering digging (shallow) to gather tuber roots (plant food) breaking and crushing to break the nuts and crush the vegetables Hut making digging (concentrated & deep)to make post-holes Cutting the branches to prepare posts The presumed stages of hunting involve killing of animals by chasing and/or trapping- and piecing of the kill for food then for acquired edible parts of the kill multiple operations like- skinning, chopping of meat (butchery) and breaking joints of bones and long bones for extracting marrow appear logical. Similarly in collection of vegetable edibles- digging roots and breaking nuts must be done. The actions to be performed during shelter making operation would be acquisition of material for construction such as post, leaves, branches, grass etc., and erection of wooden post and making shades. Cutting tree branches and creepers and digging (deep and concentrated) holes would be the main actions done by the Acheulian man (Chatterjee 2012: 6). Function Based Classification of Cleaver The function based study of Cleaver which has been proposed in the present essay is based on its two parts: edge and butt, as they are the working portions of a Cleaver. The action had been done by the edge and the butt portion had been used to hold or haft. There are five types of edges which have been identified: straight, narrow- straight, oblique, convex and concave and has three types of butt: pointed, rounded and angular. By combining the features of both the edge and the butt, fifteen types come in front but in prehistoric collections of India only eleven types among them are reported. These are: straight edge with rounded butt, straight edge with pointed butt, straight edge with angular butt, narrow-straight edge with rounded butt, oblique edge with rounded butt, oblique edge with pointed butt, oblique edge with angular butt, convex edge with rounded butt, convex edge with pointed butt, convex edge with angular butt, concave edge with rounded butt. The classification of cleaver on the basis of edge as well as butt has been given in Table 2 (also see Figs. 1-11). In Table 3, the types of Cleaver which are found in Indian Acheulian collections have been shown. Ten excavated 505 ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 4: 2016 Acheulian sites have been considered for the study as sufficient data were available for these sites during work. The additional symbol (D) has been used to show the dominant variety of Cleaver in each site. Through this table (Table 3) it can be observed that the Type: A- B- C (straight edge with rounded-pointed-angular butt) Cleavers and the Type: H-I-J (convex edge with rounded-pointed-angular butt) Cleavers are the dominant types in Indian Acheulian collections. Table 2: Classification of Cleavers on the Basis of Edge and Butt Types Cleavers Type: A straight edge with rounded butt Type: B straight edge with pointed butt Type: C straight edge with angular butt Type: D narrow-straight edge with rounded butt Type: E oblique edge with rounded butt Type: F oblique edge with pointed butt Type: G oblique edge with angular butt Type: H convex edge with rounded butt Type: I convex edge with pointed butt Type: J convex edge with angular butt Type: K concave edge with rounded butt Table 3: Types of Cleaver Found from Indian Acheulian Collections Types A B C D E F G H I J K Sites Paisra √ √(D) √(D) √ Chirki √(D) √(D) √(D) √ √ √ √ Hunsgi √(D) √(D) √ √ √ √ √ Sihawal-II √(D) √(D) Nakjharkhurd √ √ √ √(D) √(D) Adamgarh √(D) √(D) √(D) √ √ √ √ √ Bhimbetka √(D) √(D) √ √ Anagawadi √(D) √(D) √ √ √ √ √ Site-128 √ √ √ √ √ √ √(D) √(D) √(D) √ (Nagarjunakonda) Site-SXIII √ √ √ √(D) √(D) (Nagarjunakonda) Since typological classification attempts essentially to classify the thought of the maker of the tool, it is important to judge the dominant effort used in converting the thought into a tool type (Bhattacharya, 1979: 32) and beyond that thought there must be the need of their everyday life and the utilization of the tool have been concealed.