Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

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Sam Salmon
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Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by Sam Salmon »

A wonderful article about a little known area of South America click here.

However I'm not sure this is how stone age people's sharpened their blades-your thoughts?

Image
"Hand-axe sharpening grooves and geometric designs below Corona Falls on the River Rewa testify to the fact that there were once indigenous people inhabiting this area," according to Biodiversity report. Photo by: Rob Pickles.
uniface

Re: Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by uniface »

Those grooves would have been for smoothing wooden shafts, most likely.

"Handaxes" were made by knapping nodules of flint/chert into flake cores that could also be used as choppers. &c. Removing a new flake series automatically re-sharpened the working edge. The flakes themselves, however, were what were most useful for cutting.

Youtube (utube ? Whatever it is) has some relevant videos, but I don't know how to link them.
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Re: Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by Minimalist »

Just find whatever Youtube video you want and copy and paste the whole url. We don't have the ability in this software to auto play Youtube.
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kbs2244
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Re: Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by kbs2244 »

I have to agree with the shaft smoothing idea.
Those grooves look pretty round.
And I am guessing with a radius of over an inch.
That would make a pretty dull axe but a pretty nice spear shaft.
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Sam Salmon
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Re: Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by Sam Salmon »

uniface wrote:Those grooves would have been for smoothing wooden shafts, most likely.

"Handaxes" were made by knapping nodules of flint/chert into flake cores that could also be used as choppers. &c. Removing a new flake series automatically re-sharpened the working edge. The flakes themselves, however, were what were most useful for cutting.....
Thanks for the clarification they were somewhat familiar in terms of weapon/tool making.
uniface

Re: Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by uniface »

If you're either a heavy science geek or a glutton for punishment (possibly both),

http://www.ele.net/acheulean/handaxe.htm
uniface

Re: Hand Axe Sharpening?Is This How It Was Done?

Post by uniface »

If you're not, but interested enough as a tourist,

http://www.lithiccastinglab.com/gallery ... npage1.htm
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