Stone club.

Tim Simmons · 28th March 2007, 07:30 PM

So why not use flint stone. We know it was traded and would be as good as turtle bone.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DN

fearn · 29th March 2007, 05:37 AM

Hi Tim,

Why not use flint stone? This is where the geology lesson comes in. Islands come in three basic flavors (so long as a geologist is not reading this :-)): 1) continental, 2) volcanic and oceanic, and 3) coral.

Basically, flint will only occur on continental islands. Micronesia is composed exclusively of volcanic high islands and coral atolls. On coral atolls, the stone is (you guessed it) coral. This is why atoll dwellers use things like Tridacna shell for tools and put shark teeth on their clubs. On volcanic islands, the only stones available are volcanic, things like basalt and obsidian.

Flint only occurs on continental rocks (ditto with chert). There are no continental islands in Micronesia, and in Polynesia, only New Zealand is continental (and Fiji, if you're going to count Fiji as a Melanesia/Polynesia intermediate). Melanesia contains islands of all three types, and thus it is the only possible source for a flint rock. Even then the rock would have had to come from some place on or near New Guinea, the larger Solomon Islands, or New Caledonia. It could also have come from Australia, of course.

This assumes, of course, that the club actually came from the islands.

Bottom line: identifying the rock is pretty important, because it will help define a source.

Hope this helps.

F

Tim Simmons · 29th March 2007, 07:26 AM

You are absolutely right. I was working on the methods of construction that appear woefully inadequate and primitive to us. I have not got the funds to do forensic research. How extensive was the trade in flint? I hope to get an answer at the Anthropological Research Centre at th BM.

fearn · 30th March 2007, 06:29 AM

I'll be interested in the answer. I know of local trade in stones, and it would be interesting if there were long distance trading as well.

Have fun!

F

Tim Simmons · 30th March 2007, 07:05 PM

I am not sure if this link will work. I will post an extract about how in some parts traditional trade patterns continued into the very early 1900s. It is interesting to read that there was some conflict with pearl shell workers that had been established on some island of the Torres Straits from 1860.
http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/organisatio...3_1_barham.pdf

Tim Simmons · 30th March 2007, 07:49 PM

Read page 53 of the last link.

wrong page

Tim Simmons · 30th March 2007, 08:09 PM

Sorry i meant page54

30th March 2007, 07:49 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	Read page 53 of the last link. wrong page Last edited by Tim Simmons; 30th March 2007 at 08:10 PM.

28th March 2007, 07:30 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	So why not use flint stone. We know it was traded and would be as good as turtle bone. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26sa%3DN

29th March 2007, 05:37 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, Why not use flint stone? This is where the geology lesson comes in. Islands come in three basic flavors (so long as a geologist is not reading this :-)): 1) continental, 2) volcanic and oceanic, and 3) coral. Basically, flint will only occur on continental islands. Micronesia is composed exclusively of volcanic high islands and coral atolls. On coral atolls, the stone is (you guessed it) coral. This is why atoll dwellers use things like Tridacna shell for tools and put shark teeth on their clubs. On volcanic islands, the only stones available are volcanic, things like basalt and obsidian. Flint only occurs on continental rocks (ditto with chert). There are no continental islands in Micronesia, and in Polynesia, only New Zealand is continental (and Fiji, if you're going to count Fiji as a Melanesia/Polynesia intermediate). Melanesia contains islands of all three types, and thus it is the only possible source for a flint rock. Even then the rock would have had to come from some place on or near New Guinea, the larger Solomon Islands, or New Caledonia. It could also have come from Australia, of course. This assumes, of course, that the club actually came from the islands. Bottom line: identifying the rock is pretty important, because it will help define a source. Hope this helps. F

29th March 2007, 07:26 AM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	You are absolutely right. I was working on the methods of construction that appear woefully inadequate and primitive to us. I have not got the funds to do forensic research. How extensive was the trade in flint? I hope to get an answer at the Anthropological Research Centre at th BM.

30th March 2007, 06:29 AM	#4
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	I'll be interested in the answer. I know of local trade in stones, and it would be interesting if there were long distance trading as well. Have fun! F

30th March 2007, 07:05 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	I am not sure if this link will work. I will post an extract about how in some parts traditional trade patterns continued into the very early 1900s. It is interesting to read that there was some conflict with pearl shell workers that had been established on some island of the Torres Straits from 1860. http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/organisatio...3_1_barham.pdf

30th March 2007, 08:09 PM	#7
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	Sorry i meant page54