Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: StevenT on December 30, 2014, 03:57:18 pm
-
I was recently on vacation in California. I was in a shop in Sonoma and saw this. If you look in the first picture, you can see both sled runners. Someone had take the runners and made a shelving unit out of them. The second picture shows the bottom of the sled and this was the interesting part. The runners had a ton of slots cut in the wood and in each slot was a knapped piece of flint. When I asked what it was originally used for, I was told they were the runners on an old sled that was pulled over wheat stalks to separate the wheat grain from the stalks. I thought it was pretty cool the way the knapped stones was used.
-
I wonder whether any other people have used such a tool. Is there any archaeological evidence for such tools anywhere in the world? Of course I have no idea how old that thing may be. How would it be used? On a wheat floor? Surely not in the field.
WA
-
wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshing_board (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshing_board)
-
I've never seen anything like that. It's kinda like stepping back several thousand years into the past. COOL!
-
That would be neat to find and see what kind of flakes were used.
-
Those sleds were in use for a long time and originated in the Near East thousands of years ago. A lot of surviving examples come from Spain and probably from Mexico too.
Thanks for posting those pics! ;D
-
figure out what wood you have there and that might answer as many questions as analyzing the stone , put them together...... very interesting ' Frank
-
StephenT - you came all the way to cali and you didn't come see me?!
Seriously though - nice pics and an intriguing story!
-
The last of those came from Turkey I believe. I have an article about these that I will have to look at.
-
Ben, it was a whirlwind trip. Only 7 days and we started with 4 in LA, then drove to Frisco and then to Napa. Planning another trip out that will include the mountains and national parks. So maybe I'll see you then.
-
That's a fancy one. I once had the opportunity to see one when I was the director of an agriculture museum in Scott, AR. They are sometimes called a "doven" as well. Here's some puctures I took and put on photobucket. This one probably came from a Scandnavian country originally - in keeping with the family name that owned it.
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/benhenry007/Sledbottom.jpg)
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/benhenry007/CopyofWoodenThreasherwrocks2.jpg)
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/benhenry007/Sledstonedetail1.jpg)
-
You got some much better close-ups of the knapped stones. It looks to me that your sled runners are just about the same as the ones I saw. When I saw the runners in the store, it just blew me away. Just had never seen anything like it. Thanks for posting your pics.