Stone club.

Tim Simmons · 19th March 2007, 04:18 PM

Give us a clue then Ron. I did say it may be from a vast area from Northern Territories to PNG and all surrounding islands.

Tim Simmons · 19th March 2007, 05:32 PM

Interesting pic. Ukandi boy making a stone club.
http://www.naa.gov.au/publications/r...ustrations.htm

More stuff about stone trade.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._n8824352/pg_4

Tim Simmons · 19th March 2007, 07:02 PM

It is then possible that a flint nodule like this may have travelled over 600km by canoe and how many km inland? So it may have been rather expensive in the local economy. Being a good shape for a club could make it more so. One reason not to smash it about too much. It may even have had a certain cult power for being so shaped. A lump of flint being so special might be hard for us to understand.

katana · 19th March 2007, 07:20 PM

Hi Tim,
the stone head seems to have little evidence of being 'worked'...which suggests that 'form' came before function. It appears that the club head was almost entirely formed by natural erosion by water and movement (rubbing against other rock fragments by water flow ...tides or fast flowing rivers for instance.)

Have you been able to ID the rock used ? Obviously this could help discover the possible region that it originated and the way it would have been worked.
There is the possibility that the head is very old, was 'lost' and subjected to natural erosion. Re-found, and as it had a 'natural hammer/club head' form was remounted on a shaft

The shaft seems to be 'mis-matched' with the head.....very egonomic with the slight curve...similar to late hatchet/small axe handles.
Flint as it is worked, flakes off leaving a facetted surface....however it is formed from molten lava and can form some very unusual organic shapes.....perhaps this club head was 'naturally formed and regarded by those that found it... to be a 'gift of the gods' and held in high esteem...it would also explain the lack of human intervention in its manufacture.

Tim Simmons · 19th March 2007, 07:42 PM

That is a possibility and along the lines I have mentioned earlier. This is a close up of the knapped edge of the ridge. The over side is mainly formed by a natural fissure with one or to knapped parts. The other end a small lump has been knapped off to accommodate the handle. It is not the working of the stone that is the clever part here. It is the perception and execution of the whole thing to achieve a fine balance and functional fighting weapon. The look at one is glance decieving.

inveterate · 19th March 2007, 08:01 PM

Tim, As a collector of Aussie Aboriginal Items (and a resident) I have never seen anything like this in any Australian Aboriginal collections or the literature on same. Cant speak for our Northern neighbors though. There are many Stone hafted Aboriginal Axes but none that resemble your item. A most unusual find. Rod

Tim Simmons · 19th March 2007, 08:12 PM

Thanks Rod I think so too. It is amazing to think people travelled such distances in canoes laden with flint stone from Australia. I believe the seas are shallow but that is not much help in a storm, you can drown in a tea cup, not to mention the sharks. I suppose you could island hop but you might not be friends with the nearest island. The whole thing is fasinating.

Tim Simmons · 19th March 2007, 09:00 PM

Considering the importance of club stone, it is possible that good stone by shape or number of kills

May have been passed from one generation to the next. Like all weapons they hard and tough but also delicate when not used for there intended purpose.

19th March 2007, 07:02 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,922	Another thought. It is then possible that a flint nodule like this may have travelled over 600km by canoe and how many km inland? So it may have been rather expensive in the local economy. Being a good shape for a club could make it more so. One reason not to smash it about too much. It may even have had a certain cult power for being so shaped. A lump of flint being so special might be hard for us to understand.

19th March 2007, 04:18 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,922	Give us a clue then Ron. I did say it may be from a vast area from Northern Territories to PNG and all surrounding islands.

19th March 2007, 05:32 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,922	Interesting pic. Ukandi boy making a stone club. http://www.naa.gov.au/publications/r...ustrations.htm More stuff about stone trade. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._n8824352/pg_4

19th March 2007, 07:20 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Hi Tim, the stone head seems to have little evidence of being 'worked'...which suggests that 'form' came before function. It appears that the club head was almost entirely formed by natural erosion by water and movement (rubbing against other rock fragments by water flow ...tides or fast flowing rivers for instance.) Have you been able to ID the rock used ? Obviously this could help discover the possible region that it originated and the way it would have been worked. There is the possibility that the head is very old, was 'lost' and subjected to natural erosion. Re-found, and as it had a 'natural hammer/club head' form was remounted on a shaft The shaft seems to be 'mis-matched' with the head.....very egonomic with the slight curve...similar to late hatchet/small axe handles. Flint as it is worked, flakes off leaving a facetted surface....however it is formed from molten lava and can form some very unusual organic shapes.....perhaps this club head was 'naturally formed and regarded by those that found it... to be a 'gift of the gods' and held in high esteem...it would also explain the lack of human intervention in its manufacture.

19th March 2007, 07:42 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,922	That is a possibility and along the lines I have mentioned earlier. This is a close up of the knapped edge of the ridge. The over side is mainly formed by a natural fissure with one or to knapped parts. The other end a small lump has been knapped off to accommodate the handle. It is not the working of the stone that is the clever part here. It is the perception and execution of the whole thing to achieve a fine balance and functional fighting weapon. The look at one is glance decieving.

19th March 2007, 08:01 PM	#6
inveterate Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 58	Tim, As a collector of Aussie Aboriginal Items (and a resident) I have never seen anything like this in any Australian Aboriginal collections or the literature on same. Cant speak for our Northern neighbors though. There are many Stone hafted Aboriginal Axes but none that resemble your item. A most unusual find. Rod

19th March 2007, 08:12 PM	#7
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,922	Thanks Rod I think so too. It is amazing to think people travelled such distances in canoes laden with flint stone from Australia. I believe the seas are shallow but that is not much help in a storm, you can drown in a tea cup, not to mention the sharks. I suppose you could island hop but you might not be friends with the nearest island. The whole thing is fasinating.

19th March 2007, 09:00 PM	#8
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,922	Considering the importance of club stone, it is possible that good stone by shape or number of kills May have been passed from one generation to the next. Like all weapons they hard and tough but also delicate when not used for there intended purpose.