Main Discussion Area > ABO
ABO techniques, processes and tools.
Zuma:
--- Quote from: Hummingbird Point on October 22, 2015, 08:59:39 pm ---Ben,
So I'll tell you the brief history of eastern quartzite knapping, as i know it. A few decades ago some academic knappers/archaeologists who were good flint knappers were trying to figure out quartzite knapping based on what they were seeing in the artifacts and work sites in Virginia and New Jersey. They could see that the overall model was the same as with other lithic resources, where fairly large, fairly thin, flat bifaces were being produced at the rock sources, but they couldn't consistently match the results. Hammer stones were fine for spalling and some early work but absolutely sucked beyond that. Antler worked somewhat, some of the time, but that elevator clearly wasn't going all the way to the top. Probably based on the earlier work in Europe with boxwood billets, someone decided to try hitting the quartzite with wood. It worked. For reasons I don't understand, wood it able to consistently drive the long thinning flakes across a piece of average eastern quartzite in a way that other materials can't, to produce flat, relatively thin bifaces.
Now if I am understanding your thought process correctly, you would say that since no white men ever saw any Native Americans using wood percussion knapping tools, and since no such tools have been found by archaeologists, that method of knapping quartzite is invalid, wasn't used, isn't "abo". Is that correct?
So fast forward to a few years ago and a knapper in the Blue Ridge Mountains was looking at quartzite artifacts and work sites and trying to figure out how the hell they worked this stuff. He finds the old research, because it was made public, and tries it. It works. He puts the idea on Paleo Planet and the thread explodes, going to over 20 pages, with at least another 20 on side topics relating to quartzite knapping. So a few years later and guys up and down the east coast are working quartzite with wood and getting the same results. But no white guys ever wrote down that that is the Indian way, and where are the tools, so sorry guys, wrong, not "abo"?
So the knapper mentioned above is Pete Davis. I feel I owe a real debt to Pete. I mean if he called me up right now and said he needed help hiding a body I would actually give serious consideration to saying yes, and I'm a real Boy Scout (literally). See the thing is, I got into knapping after a neighbor showed me an "arrow head" he found. It was made of quartzite and I was determined to figure out how it could of been made. I got pretty far at figuring out knapping in general, but quartzite knapping still evaded me. So Pete putting that information out there and getting the dialogue going helped me find that "holy grail" of knapping I was looking for.
So you mentioned fluting with your method. As soon as I saw the results you were getting, I was already thinking about it's application to fluting. When you mentioned that the technique involves pulling instead of pushing the flake off, it immediately struck a chord with me because I have been thinking along the same lines but can't figure out how to do it. I'm stumbling around a dark room bumping into stuff. Can you help with the light switch?
Keith
--- End quote ---
What ever happened to "Shut-up and knapp" ;)
iowabow:
--- Quote from: Zuma on October 23, 2015, 09:36:40 am ---
--- Quote from: Hummingbird Point on October 22, 2015, 08:59:39 pm ---Ben,
So I'll tell you the brief history of eastern quartzite knapping, as i know it. A few decades ago some academic knappers/archaeologists who were good flint knappers were trying to figure out quartzite knapping based on what they were seeing in the artifacts and work sites in Virginia and New Jersey. They could see that the overall model was the same as with other lithic resources, where fairly large, fairly thin, flat bifaces were being produced at the rock sources, but they couldn't consistently match the results. Hammer stones were fine for spalling and some early work but absolutely sucked beyond that. Antler worked somewhat, some of the time, but that elevator clearly wasn't going all the way to the top. Probably based on the earlier work in Europe with boxwood billets, someone decided to try hitting the quartzite with wood. It worked. For reasons I don't understand, wood it able to consistently drive the long thinning flakes across a piece of average eastern quartzite in a way that other materials can't, to produce flat, relatively thin bifaces.
Now if I am understanding your thought process correctly, you would say that since no white men ever saw any Native Americans using wood percussion knapping tools, and since no such tools have been found by archaeologists, that method of knapping quartzite is invalid, wasn't used, isn't "abo". Is that correct?
So fast forward to a few years ago and a knapper in the Blue Ridge Mountains was looking at quartzite artifacts and work sites and trying to figure out how the hell they worked this stuff. He finds the old research, because it was made public, and tries it. It works. He puts the idea on Paleo Planet and the thread explodes, going to over 20 pages, with at least another 20 on side topics relating to quartzite knapping. So a few years later and guys up and down the east coast are working quartzite with wood and getting the same results. But no white guys ever wrote down that that is the Indian way, and where are the tools, so sorry guys, wrong, not "abo"?
So the knapper mentioned above is Pete Davis. I feel I owe a real debt to Pete. I mean if he called me up right now and said he needed help hiding a body I would actually give serious consideration to saying yes, and I'm a real Boy Scout (literally). See the thing is, I got into knapping after a neighbor showed me an "arrow head" he found. It was made of quartzite and I was determined to figure out how it could of been made. I got pretty far at figuring out knapping in general, but quartzite knapping still evaded me. So Pete putting that information out there and getting the dialogue going helped me find that "holy grail" of knapping I was looking for.
So you mentioned fluting with your method. As soon as I saw the results you were getting, I was already thinking about it's application to fluting. When you mentioned that the technique involves pulling instead of pushing the flake off, it immediately struck a chord with me because I have been thinking along the same lines but can't figure out how to do it. I'm stumbling around a dark room bumping into stuff. Can you help with the light switch?
Keith
--- End quote ---
What ever happened to "Shut-up and knapp" ;)
--- End quote ---
I am not ok with this kind of exchange on PA. As a long time members I have always been impressed by the respect for others that this community has insisted upon. I just want to caution everyone to consider the image we project. I guess what I am trying to say to everyone is look to the older folks on this site and follow their lead with a goal of helping and sharing. lord knows I have learned a lot from them ...
Zuma:
Let's be clear Iowa,
Not that I disagree with you.
Are you talking about someone that posts a thread
"Shut up and knap' or someone that responds to it?
It seems like I am getting a lot of flack lately.
From folks that comment when they don't read
the threads/just cherry pick partial parts of it
to make their rather brash comments about.
I have been respectful and aware of the rules.
I get what you mean so I don't think it is to much
to ask for clarification.
Also --Do you think your threads are general knapping
or more like tutorials?
Thanks Zuma
iowabow:
Hey Zuma thanks you for the way you replied. I am really speaking in general terms in hopes that thing don't spin out of control. I am addressing the greater context that brought us to "this". I myself have been guilty of "this" in the past and learned a lot from some of the long time members here. I tried to be careful to address my comments to the community by not focusing on you or any others individually. My post was to ask everyone to think about the positive in our PA community and use that as a compass that guides the way we treat each other.
Do you think your post are general knapping or tutorials?
The answer is yes in that that are sometimes instructive and at times are more like a general thread.
Zuma:
And thank you.
I agree 100 percent. Sometimes we forget that our
passions are not shared by all. I had hoped to avoid
this way back as you know. I think respectful clarification
is a good tool.
You all may not know this but Keith and I have great discussions
when ever we get together. I think of him as a friend and was
just bustin him a bit. I think twice from now on, for the common
good. If you remember he posted about me doing the Hokey Pokey
while knapping. I thought it was funny.
Zuma
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