Middle Sepik dagger.

machinist · 4th October 2020, 08:12 PM

I picked up a couple that belong in this thread, One cassowary and one from a person. I know little about these cultures so if anyone has any opinions about the engraving styles and their origin please share. As I understand it human bone daggers were taken from the skeleton of an honored ancestor rather than the victims of cannibalism. Such daggers are quite rare, a survey off American museums found 21 out of 499 daggers to be from human bones. The human one has a deep covering of soot with the orange patina of the bone peeking through. I hope this does not offend anyone, we all draw the line somewhere and we all end up as bones

Tim Simmons · 6th October 2020, 03:57 PM

You got me thinking about my bone dagger, as to whether it is a human femur or not. I found this good anatomy tutorial. If you follow it carefully even though my dagger has been carved there is still enough anatomical detail left to assume it is probably the femur of the right leg. The details are in the distal femur. The medial & lateral condyles, medial adductor tubercle and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi0cOvuhsa8

Tim Simmons · 6th October 2020, 04:02 PM

It fits my leg.

Sajen · 11th October 2020, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by machinist

I picked up a couple that belong in this thread, One cassowary and one from a person.

May I ask from where you know that one is from human bone?

Regards,
Detlef

Tim Simmons · 13th October 2020, 11:05 AM

I am only sumising from the online femur anatomy lessons.

T. Koch · 14th October 2020, 01:32 PM

Cool dagger, Tim! I found this article exploring the difference in daggers from human vs. cssowary material: https://www.livescience.com/62399-hu...e-daggers.html

Cheers, Thor

Sajen · 15th October 2020, 08:58 PM

It's not easy to differentiate between cassowary and human bone, one picture in the link Thor posted shows it good.

Tim Simmons · 16th October 2020, 07:21 AM

Assuming that is the be all knowledge of PNG bone daggers, which I very much doubt.

Sajen · 17th October 2020, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Assuming that is the be all knowledge of PNG bone daggers, which I very much doubt.

I am as well Tim, but the top of the bones show clearly the anatomy difference. Another point is that human bones are more straight.
Another point is the feel and colour, like said, it's not easy.

Regards,
Detlef

4th October 2020, 08:12 PM	#1
machinist Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 93	I picked up a couple that belong in this thread, One cassowary and one from a person. I know little about these cultures so if anyone has any opinions about the engraving styles and their origin please share. As I understand it human bone daggers were taken from the skeleton of an honored ancestor rather than the victims of cannibalism. Such daggers are quite rare, a survey off American museums found 21 out of 499 daggers to be from human bones. The human one has a deep covering of soot with the orange patina of the bone peeking through. I hope this does not offend anyone, we all draw the line somewhere and we all end up as bones Attached Images

6th October 2020, 03:57 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,745	You got me thinking about my bone dagger, as to whether it is a human femur or not. I found this good anatomy tutorial. If you follow it carefully even though my dagger has been carved there is still enough anatomical detail left to assume it is probably the femur of the right leg. The details are in the distal femur. The medial & lateral condyles, medial adductor tubercle and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi0cOvuhsa8 Attached Images

6th October 2020, 04:02 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,745	It fits my leg. Attached Images

15th October 2020, 08:58 PM	#7
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,582	It's not easy to differentiate between cassowary and human bone, one picture in the link Thor posted shows it good. Attached Images

13th October 2020, 11:05 AM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,745	I am only sumising from the online femur anatomy lessons.

14th October 2020, 01:32 PM	#6
T. Koch Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Mother North Posts: 189	Cool dagger, Tim! I found this article exploring the difference in daggers from human vs. cssowary material: https://www.livescience.com/62399-hu...e-daggers.html Cheers, Thor

16th October 2020, 07:21 AM	#8
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,745	Assuming that is the be all knowledge of PNG bone daggers, which I very much doubt.