Making Neolithic Bone Textile Tools
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- Bone tools are common finds on prehistic sites, and today we explore a style that have been interpreted as tools for working flax, bark and other textiles.
The original tools being explored are from pile-dwelling sites in the circum-Alpine region and are from a time when flax is starting to become an important textile crop but many other fibres are still in use.
This video is part two of a series made during my MSc dissertation in Experimental Archaeology.
I now have a 'buy me a coffee' page which helps fund my ongoing research and the making of these free videos. If you'd like to support me, please visit ko-fi.com/sallypointer Thank you! - Навчання та стиль
I am a bone caver. Just to underline the safety warning, you ABSOLUTELY must wear a proper, and correctly fitting, dust mask. Paper medical masks are not good enough if you are using powered grinding or cutting tools. You should also wear eye protection, you can badly damage your eyes with the grit, you don't notice it while it is happening, but for days afterwards you will have very painful eyes.
When bone carving became popular here in New Zealand, we had a significant number of people who damaged their lungs and these were just people who were carving as a hobby.
Same goes for Shell carving. There was a local craftsperson who made shell jewelry who ended up with severe lung issues.
You have in your possession an orange cat....that makes you a superior person automatically.
@@UA-camIsDead- what's a Reddit and why is it cringing?
Pay no mind to the troll..
mikewood. Of course Sally doesn't "possess" Tesla!
@@kimberlypatton205 oddly enough, I am a troll, yet not trolling. I like and own orange cats, my family has owned only orange cats for 4 generations. Don't you look stupid.
@@helenhunter4540 Word phrasing is your best response. Maybe a dictionary would help you.
“They are for scratching cats.”
Experimental archaeology never fails to amaze and astound me with its discoveries. 😂
I can't believe you persisted in your assertions about the tool being used for flax when it had very clearly been shown to be a superior cat scratcher... Nice that it works as a multi-purpose tool for the flax too, though! Such a lovely video, as ever, and really fascinating to see the tools in use.
It's true, all other theories fail when the cat is around 😆
Modern leatherworkers use a bone tool exactly like that single blade one, for scoring leather to fold it. I imagine it would be useful for a lot of things.
I've seen one used for paper folding in book binding too.
Yep - I own one & use it in sewing & paper crafting.
Always a good idea to have a lit candle next to you when using pine pitch glue so you can heat up all the articles before applying the molten glue. You could have simply reheated everything and it would have stuck together better; with the right mixture, you should not have to worry about hot weather in your part of the world. (I'm hafting stone tools in the desert where it is currently about 47C.)
Nice 👍
these videos make me so unreasonably happy, i love learning about these topics of history and the explanations are great!
Hello Sally, back in the day when the Monks were making and binding books they use something a bit like this. As a bookbinder I had a set of bone folders in 2 different shapes and sizes. These days they are made out of plastic, but in the 70’s and early 80’s you could still get bone folders. I prefer the bone over the plastic ones. The did the job better where over time the plastic ones developed this funny wear pattern from folding the paper or velum. The bone ones would become super smooth with use from folding the velum and the oils from your hand. I wish I knew what happened to my bookbinding tools as they were very useful tools. I will have to visit my local butcher and see if he can cut some bone to size for me. I’m finding the old fashion tools do seem to work better for some projects so maybe I should make my own binding tools.
Thank you for showing me a different use for them.❤️❤️
These videos are so cool, and make me incredibly happy. I have always, from a young age, been fascinated by all the things you vover in your videos, and I thank you for taking your time and energy to film, edit and upload them. ❤
Suggestion for tidying up cord binding.
Starts with a Constrictor Knot (u tube has videos on this handy miller's knot or read it up in the Ashley book) because it grips like a limpet and can be tied 'in hand' instantly.
Select midpoint of zone to be bound. Take a very long piece of stuff, double it and work the Knot at that midpoint. Pull very tight.
You can let go now, it won't slacken.
Lay one of the ends out to the far edge of the binding zone, double it back to the knot and perform a simple whipping.
Do same on other side of The Knot
You then have a very secure grip with no untidy gaps and all cordage ends neatly out of sight. Lovely videos ma'am. I like the way you combine the academic study with outdoors adventure. Living archaeology -- tremendous stuff. ❤
Ahhh the discovery of the ages…..it was all for the cats!! Lol
Interesting seeing you make Neolithic hot glue…….nice to see it was stringy and messy back then too ;)
The method New Zealand Maori use for stripping the skin layer of flax (from demonstrations I've seen) is to score across the outer surface, then fold the flax (Phormium tenax, harakeke) across the sharp edge of a shell, holding the leaf against the shell with a thumb and pulling strongly across the edge, in much the same way that you would curl ribbon with scissors. The same technique might work well with stripping the outer layer of the willow.
When the thread of your needle is getting short, try going eye-first. Unless you are pushing through really tight holes, it still works; and you can get you an extra pass-through (or two).
I have done this very thing when working with leather cord. It can help avoid an unwanted knot.
The thread will almost certainly fall out of the needle on the way through, but that’s OK. For more than one extra stitch (or if the material requires going pointy end first) I like to put the point of the needle through the material before rethreading if possible. If you have access to a shorter (but otherwise less ideal) needle, switching to that can also help get those last few stitches.
True, it can helps sometimes
@@ragnkjaI’m a firm believer in the poke-the-needle-in and THEN thread it with the meager end of thread technique.
@@lisascenic
I’ve no idea how many times it’s saved me from having to start a new thread for just a few stitches, but it must be quite a few.
Wasps in the fleece is something I hadn’t seen before.
I could simply watch you do these kinds of things all day - this is what UA-cam is all about and I’m here for it
Wonderful episode! When you pulled out the seeds, I immediately thought of Swedish berry pickers, a tool with which you pick blueberries, for example. It was so much fun that you then mentioned that you could pick, among other things, blueberries with this tool.
Have a go with the bone ripple to pull the seeds off by putting the stalks between the tines then give the bone ripple a little bit of a twist first then pull being sure the edges of the bone are what run along the stalk to pop the heads off. Don't use it straight but angled. Then update on that little change. Bet it makes it a whole lot easier.
I kind of love that single bladed tool, honestly. And you're very right, that thing could be used for so, so many things. I imagine there were some folks who did just that - used it for everything! I also couldn't help but look at the (very modern of course) bone folder, that I use on the rare occasions I'm playing with papercraft. Always wondered why on earth it's the shape it is - and NOW it makes so much sense. Now, the one in my hobby toolbox is almost certainly NOT made of bone, it's probably some sort of poly/resin, but I can well imagine that even by the time humans were making paper, bones were still extremely useful (and plentiful too of course). Finer tools might've been available to shape such things but a rib bone is still a rib bone and it's SO neat to look at something humble and familiar and get a sense of how - well, old it is in truth. Old in the best way - the kind of old that stays because it just plain works and is the best way to handle certain tasks!
Loving this series, thank you so much!!
What a beautiful observation ❣️ I am enjoying these explorations as well and I appreciated your comment. It really brought home how not only fun & entertaining and educational but these are also relevant still today. We only need to open up our eyes and our imaginations. 💙🤗
That single blade tool is basically the same as a modern bone folder, used by all sorts of artists and craftspeople for all sorts of things. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess lol
Although I value the education I receive from your channel first, I also wanted to say that you have such a delightful personality.
So, typically, I roughen smooth surfaces that need to be glued. And consider that the bone might need to be warmed so it doesn't cool the glue too fast.
Reading old woodworking books, from the era when "the usual glue" was animal AKA rabbit skin, it was normal to heat the workpiece to prevent "jelling" which was when the glue cooled and stopped being liquid BEFORE it could form a bond with the wood and then dry.
It looks like your resin glue is showing a similar behaviour (around 7:20). I suspect simply waving the workpieces through a gas flame (or an open fire...) would heat them enough to reduce this issue.
I'm struck how the single blade is almost identical to a modern bone folder. Again a tool of many uses. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks to their uses in leatherwork, there’s probably a direct line between these Neolithic bone tools and our modern “bone” folders that are usually made of plastic.
after reading a paper on research gate about neolithic flax fiber proccesing , i always wondered how did the tools look like, theres plenty of vague descriptions but your video has been the first one to help me truly understand how did this tools actually look, thanks!
I'm a new subscriber. I've watched several of your videos and absolutely love them. Your knowledge and craftsmanship astounding me. You also have a very calming presence. Thank you for sharing your videos.
Just a tip from someone who knows: to prevent the wasps from returning, you must remove and crush/ dispose of the nest ir they will keep coming back. I’ve even had one dive bomb me and sting my eyelid. Good thing I’m not allergic but they still hurt like crazt!
There was no need to destroy the nest. Why would you? The nest structure will be abandoned by the autumn. Live and let live
Spud: Etymology: From Middle English spudde (“small knife”). Origin unknown; probably related to Danish spyd, Old Norse spjót (“spear”), German Spieß (“spear; spike; skewer”). Compare English spit (“sharp, pointed rod”).
Spade: Etymology: From Middle English spade, from Old English spada, spade, spadu (“spade”), from Proto-Germanic *spadǭ, *spadô, *spadō (“spade”). Cognate with Dutch spade, Old Frisian spada, Old Saxon spado, German Spaten, Hunsrik Spaad. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sph₂-dʰ-, whence also Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”), Hittite [script needed] (išpatar, “spear”), Persian سپار (sopâr, “plow”), Northern Luri ئەسپار (aspār, “digging”) and Central Kurdish ئەسپەر (esper), ئەسپەرە (espere, “cross-piece on shaft of spade to take pressure of foot”).
Great film reminds me of Ray Mears on Country Tracks program before he became a celeb, it was the best thing on tv 20 years ago
This tool looks a good bit like a similar tool used by persian rug makers. Their tool is used to beat the weft in hand knotted rugs. I've seen it used in a few videos.
Thank you for this Sally. Am learning interesting things thanks to your knowledge sharing here. I had to laugh when I saw the flax..it looks like my pre brushed hair! 😊🤭
I find leaving some fruit and a tiny bit of water near the nest helps keep wasps happy if I'm working nearby. Unless they're hornets, then its a little bit of lunch meat and water, but I've found they're fine with sweet fruits too.
I really enjoy your videos!
This could definitely be very useful in basket making or maybe even weaving fabric, to push the weave tighter.
Also - cut willow of the new growth of that year can be baked in the oven into charcoal sticks to be used for sketching. I ‘d like to see you make ochre paints etc like used in cave painting!
Thank you for sharing the results of your studies and practical research in these videos.
When you mentioned that you weren't sure about the wholesale loosening of the willowbark, since trace wear studies had only found confirmation on the blade tips, I think your practical/natural slide into using the whole edge is stronger evidence in favor. The tools most likely to survive for study are the ones least used and least worn, so they might not have all of thw trace patterns, whereas you automatically shifted into using the whole edge for prying, indicating it would be an action natural to our ancestors, too. After going to all that trouble to make a tool, it would be nonsense for them to not use it to the full discoverable application. You're onto something with the usage on willow bark, despite trace analysis.
Given the presence of the scale-and-color card, will you be using these whole videos for your papers, or are you going to be taking illustrative frames?
Bit of both, I've been taking reference images at the same time as doing videos, so the scale card is in a lot of shots.
🎩😊😺😺Hi, what a beautiful cat scratching tool. And I suppose for other things.
tow was used in cleaning musket barrels and to tin copper kitchenware (pots, pans...)
Cats must have been so happy in the Mesolithic. And how satisfying to picture people efficiently processing their materials like this. While I'll probably never make one of these it fills in the picture of what life was like. Thank you Sally for another illuminating video.
I would be interest to see if holding the multi bladed tool at an angle, similar to holding scissors to curl ribbon, when pulling it through the flax would pop the heads off the fresh fibers better.
It's what we did around the fire 🔥 when the winter evenings got long and the days got short processing stuff down to make rope and chord thread for sewing or some sort of line for fishing ( the one video making net ,s)have all your things ready for the spring and summer planting crops gathering wild edible plants
Red deer meat and fish..
I get the pine resin and bee's wax but what is the purpose of the charcoal? May i just say, i absolutely love your videos. Thank you so much for creating them. I always learn so much.
It seems to make it stronger and more shock absorbing in my experience, but there are more scientific studies out there that look at the differences between specific mixtures
Resin is very brittle and cracks easily upon impact, under stress, or when shocked. Adding the finely crushed charcoal gives the resin impact-resistance. The beeswax does some of this as well, by giving the resin "glue" more ductility / bendability, but the charcoal adds its own properties. However, the charcoal isn't quite the same. In a way, it is much more like the rocks and gravel added to concrete.
The main binder material in cement is slaked lime (high-temperature baked limestone is turned into quicklime, which has water added to it (watch out, it's highly exothermic!) turning it into slaked lime, and the slaked lime is then mixed with sand to make mortar and cement. But it's not very strong on its own. It's when you add the "rubble" of rocks and gravel and bits of broken-up pottery (for the aluminum silicate in fired pottery, which is akin to the volcanic ash used by the ancient Romans to cure their concrete much more quickly) to the cement of slaked lime and sand that concrete starts becoming very strong. (Most people don't realize that, in a high-compression concrete, the actual binding material is less than 10% of the entire mix...and in many cases only composes about 5% of the total bulk.)
Charcoal also absorbs the resin/wax mixture more readily than other materials such as sand, due to its porous nature. That porosity gives it more surface area for the glue to cling to, which further increases its strength. There may also be chemical interactions going on between the materials, but I am not certain.
...On a side note, I've heard that charcoal made from hardwoods is more dense and suited better for forge fires, while charcoal made from softwoods is more porous and thus better suited for filtration (aka 'activated" charcoal)...so I'd be curious to see if there was any difference in qualities between a primitive glue made from resin, wax, and softwood charcoal, versus one made from resin, wax, and hardwood charcoal. Alas, my living situation does not permit me to make my own charcoal. never mind pitch-based glues, for experimentation...
@@ladyofthemasque great info. Like you, I can't actually do this stuff for the same reason, but I love knowing about it and your research is a very helpful asset to the information provided here.
I was wondering about the charcoal, too - thanks for all the good info!
Both tools look to be very versatile… however I think I’m going to try making a single blade one. I can think of many uses for a tool like this! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!❤️
If you’re interested in crafts that involve paper, leather or textiles, you probably have a use for such a tool.
Whenever I wanna secure and have a slightly too short stump left, I usually take the thread out, thread the needle where I want it, then thread the thread back through the eye of the needle, then pull through.😅
Your videos have become a staple for our Forester's Guild here in SoCal. Thanks for all of your work Sally!
All pointy tools are for cat scratching! I have scored the smooth area and warmed the bone before gluing, though mine was animal based glue.....still, always more than one way to do things. This seems to have worked, so.....and, now the part with the nail file just came up! LOL!
😄🤣 We have solved the mystery, they are for scratching cats! 🐈😺
Tes approves! ❤️
That bone blade would make an amazing net kneddle😊
One thing. I remember some engravers use dry ground clay powder as additive to resin glue.. not sure its Neolithic authentic but seemed to me quite effective.
In canada we have very different opportunities in archaeology. It is great fun to learn what was going on in europe.
youtube recommendations winning again, super cool content
Hello from British Columbia Canada
🇨🇦🖐👍❤🌲🚐🌳🎪🎠🤳🖌🎨🕸
Could makes some bone needles out of the scraps
They are nice and long, I think they might become hairpins
@@SallyPointer great idea!
I appreciate the demonstration of the resin adhesive but the first notion that comes to mind when needing to stick together bone (or leather) is hide glue. It allows for a bit more open time and depending on the density is much less brittle. Its evident absence on prehistoric finds is readily understood
Great work Sally. My only suggestion would be that, when holding the bone tools for scoring or cutting, I would guess that primitive peoples would have held them with their fist (as if holding a knife that you want to stab down onto a table) and then dragged them down the strip horizontally. This would give more force and more control. The method you use -- holding the bone tools like a pencil and pulling it across vertically -- seems to be something that would come more naturally to a modern day craftsperson accustomed to holding a craft/razor knife.
Looks like I need to make a bone scraper.
They may have created a tooth on the smooth side of the bone so the resin would have tooth to grab on to. This reasoning is sound and would not be a stretch to think it would have been practiced.
Btw, you have such pretty-colored hair. It reminds me of my youngest son's hair color from a baby to approximately age 19yo. Lol!
Thanks for sharing your work! God Bless 😃
The multiblade tool could also be run through one's long hair and beard. It would defeat any tangles!
I dont have anything to add to your content, just wanted to tell you how much I truly appreciate it and am enjoying watching your journey❣️ Keep it coming 💙
Were these bones cooked? I'm kind of assuming so but thought I would ask. I usually only use uncooked bones to make tools. I love your videos. I love making things, and I love your cat scratchers! Another practical question, how are you hearing the glue? Stovetop, microwave, open flame?
These were leftovers from a roast dinner, I agree uncooked would be better though. Glue heated over the gas burner.
Thank you Sally. Were you at Wintercount last year?
I carve bone, Tikis and pendants mostly. I find that when the bone is boiled thoroughly, it makes it stronger, and harder. You can carve it much easier when it is raw, but it doesn't allow as much detail, the raw bone tends to split and crumble away when the carving dries.
I boil any bone i am going to use one time, then scrap away any of the marrow-scaffold, then I simmer it again for a couple of hours in a mixture of bleach and laundry soap. It ends up solid, hard and white, and has lost a lot of the oil.
That was fascinating and super interesting. I just love your videos making Archeology come alive!! I only did Archeology 1 at UNiversity but it has always interested me and I have read many books on ancient cultures, but a continuous program like yours showing us how it was made and used, is wonderful! I can imagine one can skin an animal with the single tine tool as well
Roughing up the smooth surface of your bone on a coarser grinding stone would help the glue bind to the surface. Also, if you ask your local butcher, they can probably source as many rib bones as you can want, a lot cheaper than buying the bones with meat on. Using all the same side of the rib and ribs from the same side of the beast will give you a more uniform outcome for your work.
The originals use split bones so both rough and smooth sections show
Always been fascinated by these tool making processes after reading the Ayla Clan of the cavebear series of books.
I like seeing you doing stuff I only dreamed about doing. And seeing clues in old books how things were. It makes me want to try out more on my own. It is great to see this and I'm grateful for the time you have devoted to bring it forth. After my own thoughts about history!
I do wonder, for your triple tined one; maybe rubbing it on a ruff surface. To try to get all three to the same length. Might help with quickly subdividing the bark.
I loved this video and definitely want to try my hands at this too ❤about the wasps, If you give the wasps a little honey and dont hurt any, then they will remember your face for the future and youll have no issues. If just ONE thinks that you're aggressive, they let off this pheromone to tell everyone to defend. I've been working in the garden and even handling them for the past 3 summers and it blows my mind how different they really arm 😁❤️ can't wait to see your next project 😁❤️
You always look so great Sally! xxx
If there were only a love button along with the like!
Would that multi bladed one work on nettles? I tried dog brushes for nettles and found they broke my nettles down too much.
I think it's too widely spaced unless you were just roughly hackling a fairly large bundle of fibre. The thorn brushes from the last video worked really well on nettles though, I've used them on that a few times since making it.
@@SallyPointer oh that's very helpful, thank you!
So, an idea, could you score the smooth side of the bone to give the glue something to stick too? Also finding a way to keep the glue hot while you use it, and maybe warming up the bones, would probably be very helpful and heck no reason why prehistoric people wouldn't score and heat to make things stick together better!
Edit: I made this comment then went back to the video to you talking about rewarming the glue and maybe scratching the bone... teach me not to comment until the end. *grin*
Lovely video as always.
Loving this series so much. Thanks for continuing it!!!❤❤❤
I wonder if these bone "knives" wouldn't be used to scrape willow bark like you tried. Here in New Zealand the Maori used to use sharpened oyster shells to scrape the waste away from the fibre of Harakeke leaves (aka New Zealand flax/Phormium tenax). The shape of your tool looks like it could apply a similar amount of force if it were sharpened to a dull edge.
Thanks for sharing :)
hurray a sally video
Ma'am you are living the dream, getting to do stuff like this 🥰 love all your videos 💜
I love that you have a size reference and colour card in your videos. idk why it just pleases me.
also! you didn't show us the results of if it was an effective cat scratcher when bound! how could you? XD lol
Such a joy to watch…thank you for all the “trials “ of this video.
Can I just say I want to be like you when i grow up? 😊
I mean I'm already 40 but it's never too late, right?
I'd be curious to know if there is any evidence of Neolithic tool surfaces being roughened in preparation for binding with glue. Thank you as always for sharing your work!
Spud may be a corruption of spudger, a tool used to separate parts by electronics hackers. It might seem too modern but my dad was using this term when I was a kid of 6 and I'm over 50 now so yeah old term
I am always excited to see a new video from you. I learn so much, and yearn to try everything, but am slowed down by my location ( mountain west USA) and the difference in fibers that grow here. Wish me luck, I am going to search for a native mentor possibly.
Do nettles grow out there?
Thank you to you, and your co-reasercher Tes. This is very interesting
Wonderful video! I love the idea of the bark scorer and peeler; that'll save my fingernails some abuse from now on. Out of curiosity, do you know if the willow bark you scrape off when peeling the fiber is medicinal? Or is the fiber layer also the medicinal layer? Did willow fiber cordage show up in particular use contexts, or was it pretty general purpose cord?
Good question! (I take it you're referring to salicylic acid in the bark?)
@@Cellottia yes, for willow bark tea. I know you're supposed to harvest the bark when the sap is up, not in winter as you'd do for coppicing, so if you could stack utility (medicine and fiber and wattle withes) in a summer harvest, it would be a nice way to use every part.
Very interesting. I wonder if the type of bone used might also give a clue.
If sheep bone, could another possibility be it used as a wool comb?
In any case, this was a joy to watch. Thanks!
Woolly sheep don't really develop until into the bronze age, these tools predate that. Most that have been analysed are cattle, deer or sometimes pig
@@SallyPointer Ok, thanks. I didn't realize wool was that late to develop. If you don't mind a seperate question: What are the possibilities of it also being used as a tapestry beater for a loom?
Excellent, thank you!
I'd have heated the bone some prior to putting the glue on. I think the bone robbed the heat.
Fascinating as always. Thank you for your work
You can use pine pitch to seal holes temporarily don't burn it though because it's bad for your chimney and you'll have a chimney fire❤
Thank you for these videos I just love them.
Another outstanding vid and info , thank you 👍
Great content once again Sally!
Thank you so much for sharing...your videos are always so informing !!!
I learn so much from your videos. Thank you so much
Bet you could use two bones together real tightly but with a tiny gap and do the same technique with the stalk of the nettle to peel the bark and remove the chaff.
great video
I like this
Interesting video. I think you can make the spacing more precise with small sticks to make sure the spacing is correct and the same.
Also, when I was young I did some book binding and we used a tool like the single blade you made. It is quite suited to working with paper.
I ofte wonder when seeing these mixes for doing things (glue) how the first person came up with the idea-what made them add charcoal?!?!
If you have a limited number of "magical" substances, you would probably test them on everything.
It took thousands of years for us to to figure it out. Fascinating subject!
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So captivating thank you again! Is it better to use cooked bone or raw?
Raw is usually best, but this worked ok with cooked
Do you know the tale of the village with only one needle? I can't remember it!
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