Main Discussion Area > Cave Men only "Oooga Booga"
Shell tool pondering
PrimitiveTim:
They're not weasel words. We're just discussing ideas and neither of us are authorities on the subject.
swamp monkey:
;) like minds.
JackCrafty:
Another cool thread! :)
I've made both shell and bone arrowheads and bone is easier. It's easier because you can hold onto a long bone easier than a shell fragment. You shape the arrowhead on the tip of the long bone and then snap off the arrowhead when you're done. You can't do that with shell (at least none of the shells I've worked). Shell is also more brittle than bone when it gets thin and pointy. Bone actually bends noticeably before breaking.
Hopefully more will chime in on this subject. I'd like to learn what experiences others have had with shell tools. Swamp Monkey can't be the only Oooga Boooga fanatic here! (It's ok if you are though ;))
swamp monkey:
Whelks shells in the genus Busycon were used to make wood working adzes, hammers, chopping axes, fishing sinkers, net making tools, beads, drinking cups, gorget sand perhaps more. Conch shells were used to make celts, net sinker. Horse conch were also sinkers. Clam shells were used for knives and scrapers or small adzes. I will add more as I Find it. This information came from the book The Calusa and Their Legacy: south Florida people and their environments. By Darcie MacMahon and William Marquardt.
swamp monkey:
--- Quote from: PrimitiveTim on July 18, 2014, 01:33:08 pm ---Very interesting thread. I have messed with shells some but I need to explore more as there are plenty of shells around my area. What do you know about shell spear points or arrow heads?
--- End quote ---
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I ran across some research from the. Corpus Christi area of Texas where there were whelk columella points. Whelk is incredibly hard stuff. When the whorl is removed the long columella was heated in a fire to soften the shell some. Then the columella was sharpened to a point. Then it was trimmed to length. These points are not terribly old in terms of age and were interpreted as arrow points.
I have been skimming some archeological literature and have discovered some marine shell information. Once I have more complete lists compiled I will share. Certain shells were indeed used for specific uses. Fun learning!
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