Posted on 08/07/2020 10:41:06 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Stone fluted points dating back some 8,000 to 7,000 years ago, were discovered on archaeological sites in Manayzah, Yemen and Ad-Dahariz, Oman. Until now, the prehistoric technique of fluting had been uncovered only on 13,000 to 10,000-year-old Native American sites.
So, in terms of social evolution, the Middle East is several millennia behind South America?
Sounds about right.
Cultural appropriation? Patent infringement?
But, they can drive off longer fluting flakes than I can -- consistently... '-)
Thanks for the "Heads up!"!!
TXnMA
Wish they'd share how they determined that ...
Guess the proto-Atabs were like the Mayans: invent the wheel -- but only use it on toys...
Making a wheel is easy.
The tricky part is making the axel (which includes wheel alignment).
There may just be only so many ways you can knapp stone into a useful tool
more archeological taking through the hat theories
They do nice work, eh?
As someone pointed out the other day, there was a dearth of beasts of burden (other than other humans); also, it may just be an old saw from some old carpenter that the wheel was unknown for such use. Also, people who live in the Andes may not have liked their first wheeled carts when they got loose and took the cargo rocketing down the path and off a cliff. :^)
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There are:
That's my handout for when I demo/teach basic Lithic Technology (aka "FlintKnapping") to any group from gradeschool kids to "Archaeological Lithics Academies" for adults.
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"Lithic reduction" (aka "toolmaking") generally proceeds from top to bottom:
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"Fluting" is a special case of SOFT HAMMER flake detachment:
For fluting, the hard part is getting the preform into exactly the right shape (with a created "ridge" down the side to be fluted -- and a properly isolated and prepared "striking platform" (aligned with the ridge) on the end of the preform you're going to hit -- with a "Soft Hammer".
Oh -- and being able to hit ONLY the "platform -- at exactly the right angle -- with precisely the right amount of speed and force...
AND -- wrapping & supporting the preform blade along its entire length, so it doesn't try to flex & bend in the middle -- and, with a sharp "CRACK!" -- "provide you with TWO practice pieces" -- through a physical phenomenon known as "End Shock" [or, "$#@*&#^!!!"] '-}
FWIW: Imagine trying to explain the above by only pointing and grunting!
I believe that flintknapping helped force development of language and graphics (sketching)!
TMI? Well -- you did raise the subject...! <LOL!!>
TXnMA
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Sell all your hats & caps -- or donate them to charity...
TXnMA
How many ways are there to work with stone?
My limited read of the history of the wheel is that it was first used as a weapon of war. Why would it be different than any other first use of technology.
My observation is that the wheel was first introduced in the use of war chariots.
In my thoughts it is an obvious first use. In chariots the loads are relatively small; two men and their weapons.
Horses also were mostly used as weapons because you had to rich to afford to keep horses.
Put the horse and the chariot together and you have a formidable weapon.
These are my own observations so I would appreciate your more informed opinions.
Thank you for the post.
I have often wondered about the details of flint napping.
I hope someday to see a demonstration and possibly take a class.
It’s on my bucket list.
FWIW: Imagine trying to explain the above by only pointing and grunting!
I believe that flintknapping helped force development of language and graphics (sketching)!
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The people who made them could talk as well as you or I; anatomically correct humans have been traced back using mtDNA to 300,000 years ago. Talking is not a new thing. In fact, there is some evidence that writing is far older than we have previously believed, but remains untranslated.
Those Arabian long leaf-shaped bifocal points are related to European Solutrean, Swiderian, and North American Clovis traditions.
The conclusions made are just noise made by people who do not want to give the impression they are rocking the status quo and so are talking through their hat (muffled noises which are nonsense: ‘a mere display of knapping skills’).
Wheeled vehicles work best on flat or gently sloping roads.
Something that is overlooked is that in the Americas they did use rollers for moving things which is more practical then wheels for moving heavy objects. No axles to break or wheels to come off which is an advantage when you're moving a big stone block.
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See #13, this thread
To those major methods for friable stone, add "Indirect percussion" (aka "punching")
Then add "pecking, grinding, and polishing", which are commonly used to shape granular, non-glass-like stone. (pipes, celts)
And, then, there are "brute force methods" such as "grooving, wedging and splitting") for quarrying tough, granular stone.
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