Botle sides. . . Aussie Ishi's

[Prarie Bowyer]

Hey guys,

I found this video and I'm looking at some of the brown glass tips and thinking they slight curvature is reminescent of the side of a glass bottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls4yeoM8cJs&feature=feedlik

[bowtarist]

neat video.  side off or bottom of a glass bottle.  Good find, dpgratz

[Prarie Bowyer]

The question is how did they work the sides?  Get a clean break for the blank or was it luck?  Bust enough bottles and you'll get a few long blanks?

[YosemiteBen]

Very nice vid. @PrairieBowyer - older thicker bottles were easier to get side out of. I have one in the local gift shop that has not sold because it is "glass" and is about 4in. Still has some lettering on it.  The white looks to me to be porcelin of the fine china grade. a fellow brought in a piece of an old porcelin lampshade and i knapped and it looks the same as some of the points here.

[Prarie Bowyer]

How is it so shinny? Isn't porcilin porous on the inside?

[YosemiteBen]

@ Prairie - I will try to get a pic of the one I made. High grade porcelin is pretty solid look at old lamp globes in antique shops. could also be white glass.

[1ahBprimitive]

who ever made the amber ones was GOOD  the flake scars all terminating with steps in a center line on one side and running smooth on the other side  always get that when i use bottle sides

[ozy clint]

i've heard that they used insulators off the telegraph lines. that might be the white material there. apparently the whites would build a line somewhere and the blacks would come and grab the insulators.

[wally]

I am not doubting this part of the fantastic history of Australian aborigines, but I'm just asking because I'm curious.
I have a great interest in Aborigine artefacts and have made several copies of their differing spear throwers. I have seen a few examples of their stone tools, and been told by some flintknappers, that while very functional for use, were not as elaborately knapped shown in the vid. I envy you being able to touch them.
Obviously they are genuine from that area, but and this is where I'm confused, are there other examples around of finely crafted spear heads. Were the glass and insulators that were used later preceded by genuine very fine stone  heads?
A great culture, and I lived and worked in the Yilgarn area in Western Australia for 12yrs, I was surprised that they could and did live, very well, in that harsh environment. 

[ozy clint]

here's some genuine abo points that were given to me by a guy who found them in the northern territory. they are from local material. not the best material to knapp. aust doesn't have much good knapping material. they are all flat on one side and humped on the other. humped side is shown. straight from the spall.

[wally]

Yes Ozy they look great and I would love to have examples like that.
They look as I would expect, not very delicately shaped or finely finished. They would do the job intended perfectly.
The glass and ceramic ones look so perfect. In fact, and I really no expert at this, a lot of more modern knapped ones look really beautiful, and modern knappers are to be praised for their workmanship, but did the original hunters make most of their blades so finely finished?

[ozy clint]

i think you have a point wally (pun intended, LOL) knapping back then was about survival. why spend more time and more importantly energy, on something than you have to? sure they made fancy cermonial stuff but they probably didn't risk them on the rigors of hunting.

[Tower]

Beautiful.

[Prarie Bowyer]

i think you have a point wally (pun intended, LOL) knapping back then was about survival. why spend more time and more importantly energy, on something than you have to? sure they made fancy cermonial stuff but they probably didn't risk them on the rigors of hunting.

I've been thinking the same thing.  Pluss some of the rougher stuff seems sharper along it's edge.  That first break seems to be the best edge you'll get.