FLINTKNAPPING DIGEST VOL. 1 NO 2. (May, 1984)
Ray Harwood (C.S.U.N.) EDITOR.
PAUL HELLWIG’S BOOK:
1984 Flintknapping: The Art of Making Stone Tools. Canyon Publishing Company, Canoga Park, CA
-Hellweg's book is an inexpensive {under $10} introduction to flintknapping. It is chock full of black and white photographs and illustrations by Michael Seacord. In addition to chapters on how to get started with flintknapping it includes sections on ground and pecked stone tools as well as instructions for hafting your tools. Glossary and References/Resources. 111 pp. ISBN: MV-0942568052 $5.95
LITHICS:
In archaeology, lithic analysis is the analysis of stone tools using basic scientific techniques. Lithic analysis involves measuring various physical aspects of stone tools as well as observing the tool type, its characteristics, the presence features such as cortex, and the like. The term 'lithic analysis' can technically refer to any study of humanly-modified stone, but in its usual sense it is applied to archaeological material, either of the ground or knapped variety, particularly stone tools. A thorough understanding of the lithic reduction and ground stone processes, in combination with the use of statistics, can allow the analyst to draw conclusions concerning the type of lithic manufacturing techniques used at a prehistoric archaeological site.
The term knapped is synonymous with "chipped" or "struck", but is preferred by some analysts because it signifies intentionality and process. Ground stone generally refers to any tool made by a combination of flaking, pecking, pounding, grinding, drilling, and incising, and includes things such as mortars, pestles, grinding slabs, handstones, grooved and perforated stones, axes etc., which appear in all human cultures in some form. Among the tool types analyzed are projectile points, bifaces, unifaces, ground stone artifacts, and lithic reduction by-products such as flakes and cores. (From Wikipedia,)
Dr. Fred Budinger, Curator.
CALICO EARLY MAN SITE :
This was the only New World archaeology project undertaken by the renowned archaeologist-paleontologist, Dr. Louis S.B. Leakey. Leakey, and his son, Richard, are well known for their Early Man discoveries at Olduvai Gorge in east Africa. Dr. Leakey first visited the area in 1963. He came to examine artifacts discovered in a commercial excavation by Ruth Dee Simpson, a San Bernardino County archaeologist. Leakey continued to act as Project Director until his death in 1972.
Schedule of Operation
Wednesday 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Thursday thru Sunday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Guided Tours
Wednesday - 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM
Thursday thru Sunday - 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM
Closed Monday and Tuesday
User Fees
Adults (1 or 2 persons) $5.00
- each additional person $2.50
Children (12 and under) $1.00 each
Seniors (62 and over) $2.00 each
Bus Groups $2.00 per person
For more information about ongoing site activities, write to:
Friends of Calico Early Man Site
ATTN: Maggie Foss
2024 Orange Tree Lane
Redlands, CA 93474
Mike Johnson, Fairfax, Virginia (May, 1984)
LETTER TO FLINTKNAPPING DIGEST:
Thank you for the flyer on the April 14th, Northridge Flintknapping Rendezvous. California is a little beyond by budget, but I am always happy to hear what other knappers are doing in other regions. This has been difficult since the demise of the Flintknappers Exchange.
For your information, we, here in the Mid-Atlantic Region have been running formatted lithic work shops for three years, they’re title is the Middle Atlantic knap-in. So far we have held sessions on the Susquehanna Broad-spear rhyolite industry, the Creek rhyolite bifacr technology, and the Fox Creek rhyolite biface technology. The fourth knap-in , scheduled for September, 1984, will be at the Thunderbird Paleo-Indian Site, where we will work on the Paleo-Indian through Early Archaic jasper biface technology. The problems and locations for the fifth and sixth sessions also have been tentatively established.
The format involves one week of on-site research and practice, followed by a full day Saturday session which is open to professional and amateur archaeologists. At this session knappers, with the aid of recorders and photographers, attempt to replicate the various techniques hypothesized during the preceding week. Every flake is numbered, recovered and recorded as to method used to detach it, and the size and type of hammer-stone, ballot or flaker used. All the material is recovered with experiment in mind and the data sheets are given to the host institution. The Sunday morning session is used for cleaning up loose ends and the Sunday afternoon session is used for showing off, and is open to the public. This program has proven to be highly successful, in that papers and presentations have come out of two of the first three and a great deal of knew knowledge and respect for quartzite knapping came out of the other. We have found such formats to be very rewarding because they have helped all of us appreciate the abilities of the aboriginal knappers who made “ ugly looking” tools out of coarser materials It is obvious to me from your flyer that you are interested in exchanging ideas. I hope the above information will be of use to you. If you want to know more, or have anymore questions, please let me know.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Ted Orcutt Flintknapper
TED ORCUTT
TED ORCUTT FLINTKNAPPER OF THE WHITE DEAR DANCE BLADES.
BY RAY HARWOOD
Ted Orcutt, The Karok Master, King of the Flintknappers. at the he
turn of the last century there were many flintknappers working at
their craft. One of these knappers stands out among the rest as he
carried on a sacred tradition, the white deer knapper. The White Deer
knapper had the honor of knapping the massive obsidian blades for the
world renewal ceremony known as the White Deer Dance. The White Deer
Dance was very a huge undertaking and organizers spent years planning
for one event. The event was not only time and labor intensive but
was also financially very costly. To make things work out, each tribe
took a turn hosting the event that often lasted 3 solid days. The
actual dance involved dancers carrying stuffed albino dear skins on
polls followed by obsidian dancers that carried a set of two- twin,
massive obsidian bi-faced blades tied in the middle with a buck skin
thong. He who knapped the sacred, giant, ceremonial blades for the
Karok, Hupa and Yurok was a man of honor. The man who last held this
honor was known as king of the flintknappers, he was Theodore Orcutt.
Theodore Orcutt was born February 25, 1862 near the Karok Indian
settlement of Weitchpec on the Klamath River. Weitchpec is now at the
upper or north edge of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in
northern California. His mother was a full blooded Karok Indian, born
at the Karok settlement of Orleans, Oleans is only a short distance
from Weitchpec on Hwy 96, his father was a Scotsman. Theodore's
father, Albert Stumes Orcutt had fair skin, blue eyes and light hair
and was about 5.11 inches tall and ran Orcutt Hydraulic on the South
fork of the Salmon River at Methodist creek, Albert came to this area
from Maine where he was carpenter, although he had been a sailor
earlier in life. Later in life Albert had a small farm and Orchard on
the Klamath River.
Theodore's mother, Panamenik -Wapu Orcutt, was closer to 5 foot 6
inches , with jet black hair, brown eyes and dark skin. His mother
had the characteristic traditional female Karok tattoo on her chin, 3
vertical strait lines. At adolescence all traditional Karok girls had
their chin tattooed with three vertical lines, or stripes. Using a
sharp obsidian tool, soot and grease were stitched into the skin, the
same tattoo was on the biceps. The tattooing was for several purposes
all relating to gender and Klan affiliation. She was considered a
good cook and hard worker, she could make baskets, new the ins and
outs of herbalism and acted on occasion as a midwife. She also spoke
both the Hokan language and English. Theodore's mother stayed close
to him all his life and even in old age she made trips to visit with
him. His mother lived to the advance age of 107 years old.
In about 1865 young Theodore was given his Indian name, "Mus-su-peta-
nac" translated to English means "Up-River-Boy", Karok traditional
names were not given for several years after birth so if the child
died at a young age they would not be remembered by name and the
grieving would be less. The infant mortality rate for Karok in the
late 1800s was not good, at the Federal census of 1910 there were
only 775 Karoks living in 200 Karok homes.
As a child, Theodore road his pony to the local one room school house
and was a quite and good student. He was a quit boy and a very good
writer, had excellent penmanship and was well read, he was, however
largely self taught, because of his many other obligations. He helped
around the house and was diligent in his chores. While the country
was celebrating its first centennial, 1876, Ted was 14 years old and
had begun his flintknapping apprenticeship with his Karok uncle "Mus-
sey-pev-ue-fich" , his mother's brother, whom was a master
flintknapper and was considered the village specialist. It was a
great honor for Ted to be chosen to such a prestigious mentor (mentor-
a wise and trusted counselor) and he practiced when ever he could.
The raw material of choice for stone workers in northern California
at the time was obsidian. Obsidian is a volcanic, colored glass,
usually black, which displays curved lustrous surfaces when
fractured. According to Carol Howe (1979) "the amount of control that
a skilled workman can exercise over obsidian is amazing. Teodore
Orcutt, a Karok Indian, one lived at Red Rock near Dorris,
California. He learned the arrowhead maker's art from his father, who
was the village specialist. The giant blade in figure 1, now in the
Nevada Historical Museum at Reno, Nevada, is an example of his work,
though not ancient, it represents the almost lost hertage of an
ancient art. Orcutt told Alfred Collier of Klamath Falls that it took
years of practice for him to became proficient."
While still in his teens he began to master the art of flintknapping.
First he learned the percussion method of knapping (Percussion method-
the act of creating some implements by controlled impact flake
detachment) and after several years he could reduce a fairly large
mass of obsidian into a flat plate like biface (biface-a large spear
head shaped blank with flake scars covering both faces), he was also
becoming more adapt to the pressure flaking techniques with a hand
held antler tine compressor (Pressure flaking- a process of forming
and sharpening stone by removing surplus material with pushing
pressure- in the form of flakes using an antler tine). His
arrowheads, spear points and other flint work became quite nice and
he began to experiment with eccentric forms and often knapped
butterfly, dog, eagles and other zoomorphic (zoomorphic-abstract
animal shaped art) and anthropomorphic (anthropomorphic-abstract
human shaped art) forms out of fine quality, fancy obsidians provided
to him by his uncle. He was also in his teens when he learned the art
of bead weaver, brain tanning of hides and arrowsmithing.
In 1885, Ted was 23 years old and spend nearly all his time after
work flintknapping and crafting traditional Karok items. It was at
this age that one morning Ted's uncle told him to get his bed roll as
he was now ready to participate in the sacred act of collecting
lithic material. This was an honor that Ted had looked forward to for
many years and he was very excited. Ted ran back to tell his mother
but she was already standing outside with Ted's bed role and some
food she had prepared.
Their first few lithic collecting trips were to Glass Mountain, near
Medicine Lake in eastern Siskiyou County, California. Ted was aware
that not only the obsidian collecting was important but the
cerimonialism involved in doing so as well. Obsidian mining was
something that had been done by hundreds of generations of Karok and
it was not to be taken lightly. Before white mining laws came about,
Native Americans relied on the concept of "neutral ground", even
tribes which were bitter enemies could meet at the obsidian quarries
and share knapping and lithic information.
As their buckboard wagon arrived at the obsidian outcrop, Ted jumped
out of his seat down into the dark damp soil, his boots leaving
imprints in the half dried mud, it was early spring and the grass was
vibrant green. Black obsidian chips glistened and sparkled all over
the land scape. When Mus-su-petafich showed young Ted how to mine and
quarry obsidian he first left an offering of tobacco, when he
performed lithic reduction (lithic-greek for stone, term most often
used in science, reduction-the miners often made preformed artifact
blanks to lessen the bulk for transport) Mus-su-petafich drove the
obsidian flakes off the core with a soft hammer stone. Large blocks
of obsidian were quarried by splitting them off giant boulders with
the use of fire. Mus-su-petafich would build a bon fire against the
rock. As each flake came off, no matter what the method of
extraction, he would set it in a pile and categorized them as his
ancestors had and said "this one is for war, this one is for bear,
this one is for deer hunting, this one is for trade, this one is for
sale". The various piles were kept separate until they were knapped
to completion and were all set aside for their original purpose. Mus-
su-petafich told Ted why each flake (or spall) had a special purpose
based on its form, structure, fracture-ability, texture, hardness and
color. There was a different Karok word for each type and variability
in the obsidian. Red obsidian was considered ritually poison and
these were usually saved for war or revenge, at this time in history
many of the customs had changed and Mus-su-petchafich made beautiful
points for sale and trade with varieties of obsidian that were once
reserved for the kill. There were numerous instances when Mus-su-
petchafich had to obtain subsurface, unweathered material, but these
were for the most part small pit mines.
It took Ted many years of mentoring with his uncle before he began to
fully understand the Karok lithic tradition. The two men made
thousands of arrowheads, lithic art and traditional Karok costumes
and marketed them, not only to traditional Indians but also, to a
wealthy eastern clientele. As Ted got older flintknapping became an
obsession, nearly all his extra time was spent either collecting
extravagant lithic material or flintknapping, in bad whether and at
night he would plan his strategy for some lithic challenge he was
working on and his quest for every better lithic material began
taking him farther and farther from home. Oregon's Glass buttes,
Goose Lake, Blue Mt., in Northern California, Battle Mountain
Chalcedony in Nevada Opal, agate and jasper from the coastal areas
and the inland deserts. On several occasions Ted Orcutt made trips to
Wyoming, the Dakotas and many locations in Utah and Idaho where he
would find specific lithic materials for special orders. Herb Wynet
was Orcutt's traveling partner and "sidekick" on many of these trips
and Herb would do all the driving so his friend "Theo" could gaze out
the car window at the country-side. Ted could look at the geology and
topography of an area if he had been there before or not and give a
good prediction, with great accuracy, where the lithic material would
be, he was correct nearly every time. On these trips Orcutt kept a
list of artifact orders on hand, this way he knew what lithic
material to get and what to focus on at his afternoon knapping
sessions on the road. In this manor Ted never fell behind on his
orders while on his flint hunting adventures. In 1902 Ted moved to
Red Rock Valley near Mount Hebron he was now 40 years old and his
percussion biface knapping was becoming better than ever. In the
earlier years Ted and his uncle had made I name for themselves among
the Native Americans in their area by knapping the large White Dear
Dance ceremonial blades for the White Deer Dance Rituals, Ted was now
challenged by these massive blades and he had a compulsive need to go
ever larger and more spectacular using many varieties of flint and
obsidian to make ever more elaborate pieces. By 1905, at age 43
Orcutt was knapping hundreds of obsidian blades of massive size, his
command over the percussion method of knapping was now unrepressed in
the history of the world.
In 1911 Ted was 49 years old when he got the job of postmaster of the
Tecnor post office in Red Rock. It was August of the same year that
Ted sat on the wooden bench outside his house and read about Ishi in
the local newspaper, the whole thing with Ishi took place only a few
miles from Ted's house, curiously, the Hokan language family
encompasses both Yahi (Ishi's language) and Karok (Orcutt's
language). It was a local joke to Ted people would say "hey Theo, did
you hear Mr. Ishi is the last arrow head maker!"
Ted was self-educated, read a good deal and by all accounts wrote a
good hand. The job as postmaster was taxing and left little idle time
to knap stone so in 1926, at the age of 62, he gave up the postmaster
job and began hauling mail from Mt. Hebron, at Technor, in Red Rock
Valley, first with horse and buggy and later in a Model T Ford, which
Ted bought new. During this time Orcutt was knapping more than ever
and was selling items through out the eastern United States, Europe
and Museums through out the world. He had well received exhibitions
at the California State Fair in Sacramento, a permanent display in
the Memorial Flower Shop in Woodland, California and he had shipped
his points to many hundreds of museums and collectors. He had a claim
where he mined obsidian near Wagontire, Eastern Oregon. It was in
this period also that Ted's ceremonial blades went from the 30 inch
long giants to the 48 inch long monsters that made gave him the
title "king of the flintknappers". This same time period Ted took a
half ton block of glass Mountain obsidian and carefully and precisely
knapped a 48 1/2 inch long ceremonial knife, which was 9 inches wide
and only 1-3/4 inch thick. This massive bifaced blade still hold the
world record for size, it rests in the Smithsonian Institute, a
similar one is in the Nevada Historical Museum at Reno, Nevada. In
the Natural History museum in Sacramento there is a massive
collection of large Orcutt blades, 176 in all, they are in an old box
marked "source unknown". The Southwest Museum in Los Angeles has many
Orcutt blades and also some of the White Deer Dance costumes Ted
made. As for the 48 inch blade, one witness to the giant blade
manufacture heard Ted speak really softly while working on the giant
blade, " I get awful nervous when I'm working on this, I'm afraid
I'll break it just before I finish."
It was not entirely unheard of for a collector to find a giant piece
of a broken Orcutt bi-face. In 1983, I worked with Jerry Gates of the
U.S. Forest service in Modoc County, in northern, California. My
duties included surveys near the huge obsidian deposits at Lava Beds
National Park in Lassen, County, California. I observed many chipping
site, several were not ancient. One site had both obsidian flake
scatters in context with old condensed milk cans, log cabin syrup
cans and Prince Albert Tobacco cans. I still recall that the flakes
were large percussion thinning flakes that appeared to be from biface
reduction and were of an opaque green material. I was told by a local
that he thought old sheep herders tried their hand at knapping in the
early 1900s, but I had a different theory, I stood over the site,
camp fire ring in the center can dump off to the side and reduction
type flake refuse and I knew this is where Ted sat, perhaps with his
uncle and reduced his preforms for transport back to the Somesbar
area where Ted Lived at the time. At another such site I observed my
first look at an Orcutt biface, it was just the base, and was a full
5 inches wide and an inch thick. The broken piece was 10 inches long
and it was evident that it was less than half the piece. Jerry Gates,
U.S.F.S. archaeologist in Modoc showed me yet another large fragment
that was covered with lake moss, it was about a foot wide, less than
an inch thick and about a foot and a half long- it was only a small
piece of the mid section. The giant biface fragments were broken
during flintknapping procedures. The giant bifacially flaked blades
broke, most likely, from the effect of end shock, which is a
transverse fracture caused by the obsidian exceeding its' elastic
limits, when the impact is made. Failure of the material to rebound
and recoil before desired fracture occurs, caused the preforms to
snap apart in the center sections. End shock is the reason few
knappers can make large percussion bifaces.
In May, 1946 Ted was 84 years old he moved to the L.D. Parson's
Ranch, Ted still did quite a bit of knapping at the ranch and
performed his duties including maintaining, grooming and shoeing the
horses. Theodore Orcutt passed away later that year ending the rain
of the "king of the flintknappers." Even today at the site of the old
Parson's Ranch obsidian erodes silently from the earth where Ted left
his waste flakes and stash. Unnoticed boulders of the material set as
a silent and forgotten testament to the master Deer Dance Knapper.
I have been asked several times in the last 25 years weather
flintknapping was actually ever a true lost art. Flintknapping is one
of the oldest crafts in the world and it is also one of the most
enduring and actually was never lost. Many knappers, both in the
Brandon gun flint factories and the reservations of the American
Indian, it was never lost, it was interest in it that was lost but
not the craft itself. Even the master Ted Orcutt did not leave this
world without leaving his knowledge and is rumored to have had
several devout students over his live time. One known student of
Orcutt was Fred Herzog . Fred met Ted Orcutt in the late 1920s while
both were working at Lew Parson's ranch and lumber mill in Oal
Valley. According to Fred Herzog (1959) "Teds skill was beyond all
imagination as he made points from 2/16 of an inch up to large spear
points two feet long." Some speculate that Dr. Don Crabtree, whom
knapped in the same style as Orcutt, may have met or at least
observed Orcutt at work. Crabtree was known to have lived and worked
in the northern California area during Orcutt's later years. Crabtree
came to be known as the "Dean of American Flintknapping". Crabtree
himself had hundreds of students and some of them are prominent
knappers and archaeologists today. It is possible that while watching
Crabtree's students we are seeing the Orcutt knapping style as it
once was.
After Theodore Orcutt passed away several have searched for clues to
his legacy. Carol Howe, Eugene Heflin and myself. Eugene wrote a book
called Up River Boy, but after Eugene passed away the book was never
published. I am still seeking information and if you have any -
please let me know. I published an article about Eugene's search for
Ted in Indian artifact Magazine in 2001.
TED ORCUTT FLINTKNAPPER OF THE WHITE DEAR DANCE BLADES.
BY RAY HARWOOD
Ted Orcutt, The Karok Master, King of the Flintknappers. at the he
turn of the last century there were many flintknappers working at
their craft. One of these knappers stands out among the rest as he
carried on a sacred tradition, the white deer knapper. The White Deer
knapper had the honor of knapping the massive obsidian blades for the
world renewal ceremony known as the White Deer Dance. The White Deer
Dance was very a huge undertaking and organizers spent years planning
for one event. The event was not only time and labor intensive but
was also financially very costly. To make things work out, each tribe
took a turn hosting the event that often lasted 3 solid days. The
actual dance involved dancers carrying stuffed albino dear skins on
polls followed by obsidian dancers that carried a set of two- twin,
massive obsidian bi-faced blades tied in the middle with a buck skin
thong. He who knapped the sacred, giant, ceremonial blades for the
Karok, Hupa and Yurok was a man of honor. The man who last held this
honor was known as king of the flintknappers, he was Theodore Orcutt.
Theodore Orcutt was born February 25, 1862 near the Karok Indian
settlement of Weitchpec on the Klamath River. Weitchpec is now at the
upper or north edge of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in
northern California. His mother was a full blooded Karok Indian, born
at the Karok settlement of Orleans, Oleans is only a short distance
from Weitchpec on Hwy 96, his father was a Scotsman. Theodore's
father, Albert Stumes Orcutt had fair skin, blue eyes and light hair
and was about 5.11 inches tall and ran Orcutt Hydraulic on the South
fork of the Salmon River at Methodist creek, Albert came to this area
from Maine where he was carpenter, although he had been a sailor
earlier in life. Later in life Albert had a small farm and Orchard on
the Klamath River.
Theodore's mother, Panamenik -Wapu Orcutt, was closer to 5 foot 6
inches , with jet black hair, brown eyes and dark skin. His mother
had the characteristic traditional female Karok tattoo on her chin, 3
vertical strait lines. At adolescence all traditional Karok girls had
their chin tattooed with three vertical lines, or stripes. Using a
sharp obsidian tool, soot and grease were stitched into the skin, the
same tattoo was on the biceps. The tattooing was for several purposes
all relating to gender and Klan affiliation. She was considered a
good cook and hard worker, she could make baskets, new the ins and
outs of herbalism and acted on occasion as a midwife. She also spoke
both the Hokan language and English. Theodore's mother stayed close
to him all his life and even in old age she made trips to visit with
him. His mother lived to the advance age of 107 years old.
In about 1865 young Theodore was given his Indian name, "Mus-su-peta-
nac" translated to English means "Up-River-Boy", Karok traditional
names were not given for several years after birth so if the child
died at a young age they would not be remembered by name and the
grieving would be less. The infant mortality rate for Karok in the
late 1800s was not good, at the Federal census of 1910 there were
only 775 Karoks living in 200 Karok homes.
As a child, Theodore road his pony to the local one room school house
and was a quite and good student. He was a quit boy and a very good
writer, had excellent penmanship and was well read, he was, however
largely self taught, because of his many other obligations. He helped
around the house and was diligent in his chores. While the country
was celebrating its first centennial, 1876, Ted was 14 years old and
had begun his flintknapping apprenticeship with his Karok uncle "Mus-
sey-pev-ue-fich" , his mother's brother, whom was a master
flintknapper and was considered the village specialist. It was a
great honor for Ted to be chosen to such a prestigious mentor (mentor-
a wise and trusted counselor) and he practiced when ever he could.
The raw material of choice for stone workers in northern California
at the time was obsidian. Obsidian is a volcanic, colored glass,
usually black, which displays curved lustrous surfaces when
fractured. According to Carol Howe (1979) "the amount of control that
a skilled workman can exercise over obsidian is amazing. Teodore
Orcutt, a Karok Indian, one lived at Red Rock near Dorris,
California. He learned the arrowhead maker's art from his father, who
was the village specialist. The giant blade in figure 1, now in the
Nevada Historical Museum at Reno, Nevada, is an example of his work,
though not ancient, it represents the almost lost hertage of an
ancient art. Orcutt told Alfred Collier of Klamath Falls that it took
years of practice for him to became proficient."
While still in his teens he began to master the art of flintknapping.
First he learned the percussion method of knapping (Percussion method-
the act of creating some implements by controlled impact flake
detachment) and after several years he could reduce a fairly large
mass of obsidian into a flat plate like biface (biface-a large spear
head shaped blank with flake scars covering both faces), he was also
becoming more adapt to the pressure flaking techniques with a hand
held antler tine compressor (Pressure flaking- a process of forming
and sharpening stone by removing surplus material with pushing
pressure- in the form of flakes using an antler tine). His
arrowheads, spear points and other flint work became quite nice and
he began to experiment with eccentric forms and often knapped
butterfly, dog, eagles and other zoomorphic (zoomorphic-abstract
animal shaped art) and anthropomorphic (anthropomorphic-abstract
human shaped art) forms out of fine quality, fancy obsidians provided
to him by his uncle. He was also in his teens when he learned the art
of bead weaver, brain tanning of hides and arrowsmithing.
In 1885, Ted was 23 years old and spend nearly all his time after
work flintknapping and crafting traditional Karok items. It was at
this age that one morning Ted's uncle told him to get his bed roll as
he was now ready to participate in the sacred act of collecting
lithic material. This was an honor that Ted had looked forward to for
many years and he was very excited. Ted ran back to tell his mother
but she was already standing outside with Ted's bed role and some
food she had prepared.
Their first few lithic collecting trips were to Glass Mountain, near
Medicine Lake in eastern Siskiyou County, California. Ted was aware
that not only the obsidian collecting was important but the
cerimonialism involved in doing so as well. Obsidian mining was
something that had been done by hundreds of generations of Karok and
it was not to be taken lightly. Before white mining laws came about,
Native Americans relied on the concept of "neutral ground", even
tribes which were bitter enemies could meet at the obsidian quarries
and share knapping and lithic information.
As their buckboard wagon arrived at the obsidian outcrop, Ted jumped
out of his seat down into the dark damp soil, his boots leaving
imprints in the half dried mud, it was early spring and the grass was
vibrant green. Black obsidian chips glistened and sparkled all over
the land scape. When Mus-su-petafich showed young Ted how to mine and
quarry obsidian he first left an offering of tobacco, when he
performed lithic reduction (lithic-greek for stone, term most often
used in science, reduction-the miners often made preformed artifact
blanks to lessen the bulk for transport) Mus-su-petafich drove the
obsidian flakes off the core with a soft hammer stone. Large blocks
of obsidian were quarried by splitting them off giant boulders with
the use of fire. Mus-su-petafich would build a bon fire against the
rock. As each flake came off, no matter what the method of
extraction, he would set it in a pile and categorized them as his
ancestors had and said "this one is for war, this one is for bear,
this one is for deer hunting, this one is for trade, this one is for
sale". The various piles were kept separate until they were knapped
to completion and were all set aside for their original purpose. Mus-
su-petafich told Ted why each flake (or spall) had a special purpose
based on its form, structure, fracture-ability, texture, hardness and
color. There was a different Karok word for each type and variability
in the obsidian. Red obsidian was considered ritually poison and
these were usually saved for war or revenge, at this time in history
many of the customs had changed and Mus-su-petchafich made beautiful
points for sale and trade with varieties of obsidian that were once
reserved for the kill. There were numerous instances when Mus-su-
petchafich had to obtain subsurface, unweathered material, but these
were for the most part small pit mines.
It took Ted many years of mentoring with his uncle before he began to
fully understand the Karok lithic tradition. The two men made
thousands of arrowheads, lithic art and traditional Karok costumes
and marketed them, not only to traditional Indians but also, to a
wealthy eastern clientele. As Ted got older flintknapping became an
obsession, nearly all his extra time was spent either collecting
extravagant lithic material or flintknapping, in bad whether and at
night he would plan his strategy for some lithic challenge he was
working on and his quest for every better lithic material began
taking him farther and farther from home. Oregon's Glass buttes,
Goose Lake, Blue Mt., in Northern California, Battle Mountain
Chalcedony in Nevada Opal, agate and jasper from the coastal areas
and the inland deserts. On several occasions Ted Orcutt made trips to
Wyoming, the Dakotas and many locations in Utah and Idaho where he
would find specific lithic materials for special orders. Herb Wynet
was Orcutt's traveling partner and "sidekick" on many of these trips
and Herb would do all the driving so his friend "Theo" could gaze out
the car window at the country-side. Ted could look at the geology and
topography of an area if he had been there before or not and give a
good prediction, with great accuracy, where the lithic material would
be, he was correct nearly every time. On these trips Orcutt kept a
list of artifact orders on hand, this way he knew what lithic
material to get and what to focus on at his afternoon knapping
sessions on the road. In this manor Ted never fell behind on his
orders while on his flint hunting adventures. In 1902 Ted moved to
Red Rock Valley near Mount Hebron he was now 40 years old and his
percussion biface knapping was becoming better than ever. In the
earlier years Ted and his uncle had made I name for themselves among
the Native Americans in their area by knapping the large White Dear
Dance ceremonial blades for the White Deer Dance Rituals, Ted was now
challenged by these massive blades and he had a compulsive need to go
ever larger and more spectacular using many varieties of flint and
obsidian to make ever more elaborate pieces. By 1905, at age 43
Orcutt was knapping hundreds of obsidian blades of massive size, his
command over the percussion method of knapping was now unrepressed in
the history of the world.
In 1911 Ted was 49 years old when he got the job of postmaster of the
Tecnor post office in Red Rock. It was August of the same year that
Ted sat on the wooden bench outside his house and read about Ishi in
the local newspaper, the whole thing with Ishi took place only a few
miles from Ted's house, curiously, the Hokan language family
encompasses both Yahi (Ishi's language) and Karok (Orcutt's
language). It was a local joke to Ted people would say "hey Theo, did
you hear Mr. Ishi is the last arrow head maker!"
Ted was self-educated, read a good deal and by all accounts wrote a
good hand. The job as postmaster was taxing and left little idle time
to knap stone so in 1926, at the age of 62, he gave up the postmaster
job and began hauling mail from Mt. Hebron, at Technor, in Red Rock
Valley, first with horse and buggy and later in a Model T Ford, which
Ted bought new. During this time Orcutt was knapping more than ever
and was selling items through out the eastern United States, Europe
and Museums through out the world. He had well received exhibitions
at the California State Fair in Sacramento, a permanent display in
the Memorial Flower Shop in Woodland, California and he had shipped
his points to many hundreds of museums and collectors. He had a claim
where he mined obsidian near Wagontire, Eastern Oregon. It was in
this period also that Ted's ceremonial blades went from the 30 inch
long giants to the 48 inch long monsters that made gave him the
title "king of the flintknappers". This same time period Ted took a
half ton block of glass Mountain obsidian and carefully and precisely
knapped a 48 1/2 inch long ceremonial knife, which was 9 inches wide
and only 1-3/4 inch thick. This massive bifaced blade still hold the
world record for size, it rests in the Smithsonian Institute, a
similar one is in the Nevada Historical Museum at Reno, Nevada. In
the Natural History museum in Sacramento there is a massive
collection of large Orcutt blades, 176 in all, they are in an old box
marked "source unknown". The Southwest Museum in Los Angeles has many
Orcutt blades and also some of the White Deer Dance costumes Ted
made. As for the 48 inch blade, one witness to the giant blade
manufacture heard Ted speak really softly while working on the giant
blade, " I get awful nervous when I'm working on this, I'm afraid
I'll break it just before I finish."
It was not entirely unheard of for a collector to find a giant piece
of a broken Orcutt bi-face. In 1983, I worked with Jerry Gates of the
U.S. Forest service in Modoc County, in northern, California. My
duties included surveys near the huge obsidian deposits at Lava Beds
National Park in Lassen, County, California. I observed many chipping
site, several were not ancient. One site had both obsidian flake
scatters in context with old condensed milk cans, log cabin syrup
cans and Prince Albert Tobacco cans. I still recall that the flakes
were large percussion thinning flakes that appeared to be from biface
reduction and were of an opaque green material. I was told by a local
that he thought old sheep herders tried their hand at knapping in the
early 1900s, but I had a different theory, I stood over the site,
camp fire ring in the center can dump off to the side and reduction
type flake refuse and I knew this is where Ted sat, perhaps with his
uncle and reduced his preforms for transport back to the Somesbar
area where Ted Lived at the time. At another such site I observed my
first look at an Orcutt biface, it was just the base, and was a full
5 inches wide and an inch thick. The broken piece was 10 inches long
and it was evident that it was less than half the piece. Jerry Gates,
U.S.F.S. archaeologist in Modoc showed me yet another large fragment
that was covered with lake moss, it was about a foot wide, less than
an inch thick and about a foot and a half long- it was only a small
piece of the mid section. The giant biface fragments were broken
during flintknapping procedures. The giant bifacially flaked blades
broke, most likely, from the effect of end shock, which is a
transverse fracture caused by the obsidian exceeding its' elastic
limits, when the impact is made. Failure of the material to rebound
and recoil before desired fracture occurs, caused the preforms to
snap apart in the center sections. End shock is the reason few
knappers can make large percussion bifaces.
In May, 1946 Ted was 84 years old he moved to the L.D. Parson's
Ranch, Ted still did quite a bit of knapping at the ranch and
performed his duties including maintaining, grooming and shoeing the
horses. Theodore Orcutt passed away later that year ending the rain
of the "king of the flintknappers." Even today at the site of the old
Parson's Ranch obsidian erodes silently from the earth where Ted left
his waste flakes and stash. Unnoticed boulders of the material set as
a silent and forgotten testament to the master Deer Dance Knapper.
I have been asked several times in the last 25 years weather
flintknapping was actually ever a true lost art. Flintknapping is one
of the oldest crafts in the world and it is also one of the most
enduring and actually was never lost. Many knappers, both in the
Brandon gun flint factories and the reservations of the American
Indian, it was never lost, it was interest in it that was lost but
not the craft itself. Even the master Ted Orcutt did not leave this
world without leaving his knowledge and is rumored to have had
several devout students over his live time. One known student of
Orcutt was Fred Herzog . Fred met Ted Orcutt in the late 1920s while
both were working at Lew Parson's ranch and lumber mill in Oal
Valley. According to Fred Herzog (1959) "Teds skill was beyond all
imagination as he made points from 2/16 of an inch up to large spear
points two feet long." Some speculate that Dr. Don Crabtree, whom
knapped in the same style as Orcutt, may have met or at least
observed Orcutt at work. Crabtree was known to have lived and worked
in the northern California area during Orcutt's later years. Crabtree
came to be known as the "Dean of American Flintknapping". Crabtree
himself had hundreds of students and some of them are prominent
knappers and archaeologists today. It is possible that while watching
Crabtree's students we are seeing the Orcutt knapping style as it
once was.
After Theodore Orcutt passed away several have searched for clues to
his legacy. Carol Howe, Eugene Heflin and myself. Eugene wrote a book
called Up River Boy, but after Eugene passed away the book was never
published. I am still seeking information and if you have any -
please let me know. I published an article about Eugene's search for
Ted in Indian artifact Magazine in 2001.
Monday, May 29, 2006
FLINTKNAPPING DIGEST NO. 1 VOL.1, 1984
FLINTKNAPPING DIGEST NO. 1 VOL.1, 1984
Review of the first California Flintknapping Rendezvous.
By Ray Harwood.
Those kanppers who regestered on the morning of April 14th, 1984:
Delores Hemphill, Chris Martinez, Terry P. Frederick, Joeseph T. Dabill, Gary Alex, Richard L. Wessel, R.J. Johnson, Annie Marilnnes, Eric Scott, John Bats, John E. Atwood, Jeanne Binning, Wright Huff, Ed Ryman, Alton Safford, Bryn Barabas, Fred E. Budinger Jr., Harold Ramser Jr. Terry Caruso, Veeianne Rogers, Clay Singer, Erin J. Singer, Susan D. Frischer, David W. Blanchard, Harry Smead, Roy Vande Hoch, Mike McIntire, Nancy Peterson Walter, Ted Bennett, Charlott Buetou, John F. Quin, Gary Alexanian, K.N. Sokoler, Graig W. Howell, Ray Harwood, Ted Harwood Sr. and Nancy Harwood.
Lithic Materials where supplied by: Terry P. Frederick (Monterey Chert), Joeseph T. Dabil (Beas'-wax chert) Jeanne Binning (obsidian) Ray Harwood (basalt, glass), Ted Harwood (basalt) Nancy Peterson (obsidian) Walter Clay Singer (quartzite),Fred E. Budinger Jr.(Calico chert and jasper).
The Northridge (California) Flintknapping Rendezvous was held at the Northridge Archaeological Research Center, on the C.S.U.N. campus. Held on April 14th, 1984
from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. . The event was the brain child of yours truly, Ray Harwood. The prupose of the rendezvous was to flintknap, exchange ideas about lithic technology, demonstrate various techniques, and display replications. The event was very successful and was covered by several local news papers. The crowd was huge!
Formal Papers Presented:
Fred E. Budinger, Jr.
Evidence For Middle and Late Pleistocene Man In South -Central Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California.
The Manix Basin provides the greatest time depth of Early Man evidence in the New World. This evidence is episodic: surface percussion flaked stone artifactsof the Lake Manix Industry dating to a minimum of 15,000 to 18,000 years B.P. and Calico Site percussion flaked artifacts dating 200,000 +/- 20,000 years B.P..
Ray Harwood
Making Bottle Glass Arrowheads.
Knapper demostrates the proper method of reducing a bottle bottom into a usable perform and then proceeds to knap a side-notched arrowhead. Discussion on proto-historic glass knapping included Australian Aboriginals, Slaves, and Indians.
Clay A. Singer.
The 63 Kilometer Fit.
Prehistoric quarry workshops were an important early focal point in American archaeology, and such sites are once again beggining to attract attention of archaeologists concerned with reconstruction of extinct cultural sytems. The study area was the desert region of the southeastern California , in and around the Chuckwalla Valley.
Clay A. Singer.
Lithics and French Sunsets
Clay Singer showed slides, and told stories, of his time working in France with noted French lithics expert, Francois Bordes.
FLINTKNAPPING DIGEST NO. 1 VOL.1, 1984
FLINTKNAPPING DIGEST NO. 1 VOL.1, 1984
Review of the first California Flintknapping Rendezvous.
By Ray Harwood.
Those kanppers who regestered on the morning of April 14th, 1984:
Delores Hemphill, Chris Martinez, Terry P. Frederick, Joeseph T. Dabill, Gary Alex, Richard L. Wessel, R.J. Johnson, Annie Marilnnes, Eric Scott, John Bats, John E. Atwood, Jeanne Binning, Wright Huff, Ed Ryman, Alton Safford, Bryn Barabas, Fred E. Budinger Jr., Harold Ramser Jr. Terry Caruso, Veeianne Rogers, Clay Singer, Erin J. Singer, Susan D. Frischer, David W. Blanchard, Harry Smead, Roy Vande Hoch, Mike McIntire, Nancy Peterson Walter, Ted Bennett, Charlott Buetou, John F. Quin, Gary Alexanian, K.N. Sokoler, Graig W. Howell, Ray Harwood, Ted Harwood Sr. and Nancy Harwood.
Lithic Materials where supplied by: Terry P. Frederick (Monterey Chert), Joeseph T. Dabil (Beas'-wax chert) Jeanne Binning (obsidian) Ray Harwood (basalt, glass), Ted Harwood (basalt) Nancy Peterson (obsidian) Walter Clay Singer (quartzite),Fred E. Budinger Jr.(Calico chert and jasper).
The Northridge (California) Flintknapping Rendezvous was held at the Northridge Archaeological Research Center, on the C.S.U.N. campus. Held on April 14th, 1984
from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. . The event was the brain child of yours truly, Ray Harwood. The prupose of the rendezvous was to flintknap, exchange ideas about lithic technology, demonstrate various techniques, and display replications. The event was very successful and was covered by several local news papers. The crowd was huge!
Formal Papers Presented:
Fred E. Budinger, Jr.
Evidence For Middle and Late Pleistocene Man In South -Central Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California.
The Manix Basin provides the greatest time depth of Early Man evidence in the New World. This evidence is episodic: surface percussion flaked stone artifactsof the Lake Manix Industry dating to a minimum of 15,000 to 18,000 years B.P. and Calico Site percussion flaked artifacts dating 200,000 +/- 20,000 years B.P..
Ray Harwood
Making Bottle Glass Arrowheads.
Knapper demostrates the proper method of reducing a bottle bottom into a usable perform and then proceeds to knap a side-notched arrowhead. Discussion on proto-historic glass knapping included Australian Aboriginals, Slaves, and Indians.
Clay A. Singer.
The 63 Kilometer Fit.
Prehistoric quarry workshops were an important early focal point in American archaeology, and such sites are once again beggining to attract attention of archaeologists concerned with reconstruction of extinct cultural sytems. The study area was the desert region of the southeastern California , in and around the Chuckwalla Valley.
Clay A. Singer.
Lithics and French Sunsets
Clay Singer showed slides, and told stories, of his time working in France with noted French lithics expert, Francois Bordes.
Peoples of the Flute
PEOPLES OF THE FLUTE
Entry for June 08, 2006 magnify
Next month I was hoping we could delve deeply into Bob Patten's book "PEOPLES OF THE FLUTE", it is far from boarring like many books on knapping, I have read it and enjoyed it. It is written more from an anthropology,, or what Bob calls "Anthropolithic" perspective. I know all knappers will understand and enjoy this interesting book. If anyone is out there that actually is reading this list, I highly recomend this book. I am hoping to get some readers to have dialog on this next month. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble, they ordered it, it came in a little less than two weeks. The total costy was about 24 bucks, the cost of a new release dvd. If you want some very interesting perspectives on knapping and Paleo Archaeology, get involved in this reading session next month. Get the book soon and get preped. Each month we can do another knapping book.
flintknappingdigest@yahoogroups.com
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0966870115
Publish Date: 3/1/2005
Publisher: Stone Dagger Publications
Dimensions (in Inches) 8.75H x 6L x 0.75T
Pages: 288
DESCRIPTION
"Innovative techniques are introduced to solve some of the oldest archaeological mysteries of the American continents. Controlled experimentation, supplemented with computer modeling, provides a basis for interpreting the tools, behavior, strategy, and intent guiding early technological decisions. The evidence reveals a chain of responses to environmental changes that explain the emergence and abandonment of fluting technology."
Entry for June 08, 2006 magnify
Next month I was hoping we could delve deeply into Bob Patten's book "PEOPLES OF THE FLUTE", it is far from boarring like many books on knapping, I have read it and enjoyed it. It is written more from an anthropology,, or what Bob calls "Anthropolithic" perspective. I know all knappers will understand and enjoy this interesting book. If anyone is out there that actually is reading this list, I highly recomend this book. I am hoping to get some readers to have dialog on this next month. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble, they ordered it, it came in a little less than two weeks. The total costy was about 24 bucks, the cost of a new release dvd. If you want some very interesting perspectives on knapping and Paleo Archaeology, get involved in this reading session next month. Get the book soon and get preped. Each month we can do another knapping book.
flintknappingdigest@yahoogroups.com
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0966870115
Publish Date: 3/1/2005
Publisher: Stone Dagger Publications
Dimensions (in Inches) 8.75H x 6L x 0.75T
Pages: 288
DESCRIPTION
"Innovative techniques are introduced to solve some of the oldest archaeological mysteries of the American continents. Controlled experimentation, supplemented with computer modeling, provides a basis for interpreting the tools, behavior, strategy, and intent guiding early technological decisions. The evidence reveals a chain of responses to environmental changes that explain the emergence and abandonment of fluting technology."
ISHI and His Points
Sunday, May 21, 2006
ISHI and His Points
ISHI AND HIS POINTS
My name is Ray Harwood, I have only achieved a
BA in Anthropology. However, I have been flintknapping
for 35 years. On several occasions I have been requested to submit
specific research technical papers for publication.
I am requesting access to the Ishi lithics for collection
for the purpose of measuring, weighing and classifying
the projectile points and subsequent byproducts of Ishi’s
knapping process. Furthermore, the lithic classification
of the byproduct material based on material and attribute
analysis.
For Book: Papers in Honor of Errett Callahan, PhD, Hugo Nami, Ph.D. Ed.)
Rough Draft By: Ray Harwood,
Life and Lithics, the Saga of 1-24363, The Classic Ishi Point.
E-mailed as a partially complete document to johnsonnl@berkeley.edu ).
. The purpose of this article/ chapter is to document certain aspects of
the "lithic" reduction/ production sequences of a certain
protohistoric artifact anomaly, the glass Ishi, specifically those
crafted from man made colored bottle and clear window glass, by Ishi
at the museum, circa 1911.
Flintknapping today is a part of the world lived in by a very few,
but at one time it was part of everyone's world to some degree. The
transition of these worlds was paved with horror and death. The man
named Ishi was at the end of that time and the start of this time.
Like Alice through the looking glass Ishi entered a new and strange
world, from his wilderness life to one with foolish devices and
white people running about like mad rodents. The new world was a
dream like circus, but a dream come true and a deliverance from the
nightmare of solitude .It was considered of the utmost importance
not to understate the importance of Ishi's background, the dark
horror that was the American holocaust. (see Kroeber 1961, Burrill
1990, Harwood, R. 1999 , Harwood, J. 2000, Shackley 1996) The
darkest hour is just before the dawn and it was just the break of
dawn, on a hot August night, the 9th, of August 1911, some miles
south of Red Bluff, California, a down trodden, exhausted and
fearful man was found in the stable of the Charles Ward
Slaughterhouse on Oro-Quincy Road . The story ends with Ishi's
lifeless brain being carved out of his skull and sent to the
Smithsonian. The ashes placed in a small black jar. Ishi's remains
have been repatriated under the provisions of the National Museum of
the American Indian Act of 1989, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 80q et seq.
(see Rockafeller, 1999)
Today Ishi is well known for the arrowhead named after him, a
stylized side notch type, he commonly knapped at his museum home, In
this case, Ishi's short five-year stay at the Museum of
Anthropology, University of California, a legend born of an odessy
that began August the 9th, of August 1911 ending on Ishi's death
March 25, 1916. According to Nelson (1916) . Nothing gave Ishi, and
the visiting public, as much interest and satisfaction as his
arrowhead chipping. The Ishi Point type discussed, he made several
varieties, is as follows: The classic Ishi point is best known for
its symmetrical tear drop notches in the lower margin of the point.
The notch enters at less than a thirty-second on an inch at the
entry point then expand to an eighth of an inch wide or more in the
body of the point. The deep teardrop notches extend three eighths to
a quarter of an inch deep into the face of the basal region. This
gives the neck area, between the notches, a similar diameter of the
prospective arrow shaft creating the perfect haft.
The classic Ishi point has a blade edge that is either straight or
incurvate. The base is concave. The point has sharp angular ears
below the characteristic notches. The point has a triangular form
giving the point the overall delicate but deadly outline. The point
has diffuse diamond cross-section created by a medial ridge. Ishi
points have closed tear drop notches.
The medial section of the Ishi point has subtle oblique flaking
patterns, more pronounced on the elongated specimens. Oblique or
parallel flaking is done, according to Errett Callahan, to create an
extremely sharp edge, as oblique edges do not have delta flakes and
therefore less final retouch is necessary and the blade edge is
razor sharp. The blade edge on an Ishi point is usually incurvate,
this a result of the final pass of oblique medial flakes. The clear
glass material gives the point an ice crystal look, that combined
with its' oblique parallel pattern flakes and near perfect symmetry,
transcends all description of beauty. Ishi collector Charlie Shewey,
relayed to me that the last authentic Ishi point that sold at
auction sold for a cool $27,000.00, other black market dealers, underworld,
state $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 for those not of the classic “Ishi” form. .
To demonstrate the diversity of Ishi's points and existing specimen
data of Ishi's points(see Shackley , 1991, 1994, , 1996, 2000 ).
Unfortunately Ishi gave away and sold many of his points while doing
his demonstrations. But fortunately there are 120 specimens in
museums and 4 in private collections, some of which are now
available as castings. The "classic Glass Ishi" is an ornate Desert
Side Notch, and the style reflected in this paper, the totals of
these specimens is 49 and another 8 DSN with serrated edges,
certainly not what most of us see in our minds eye as a true "Ishi"
yet he made them. 17 of the specimens are corner notched, expanding
stem points, with another 5 of these being the same form but
serrated - again = certainly not what most of us see in our minds
eye as a true "Ishi" yet he made them. 10 of the Ishi specimens are
of the cottonwood triangular -concave base-again = certainly not
what most of us see in our minds eye as a true "Ishi" yet he made
them. 18 are basal notched with contracting stem, 6 more are basal
notched with contracting stem but serrated-again = certainly not
what most of us see in our minds eye as a true "Ishi" yet he made
them. Of the "classic Ishi" is a ornate Desert Side Notch the bulk
were made after , and during, 1911 at the museum 49 in the museum
collections, 4 in private collections for a total of 53, 2 were
excavated at Payne's Cave, TEH193 (see Shackley , 1991, 1994, ,
1996, 2000 ), 3 at Kingsley Cave, TEH-1, (again see Shackley , 1991,
1994, , 1996, 2000 ). For a grant total of 53 classic Ishi points .
The problem with cross-tabulation for statistical data is this, what
if Ishi (or Kroeber) simply held on to his best points, or his
worst? this would have set a majority of "non classic Ishi's into
the public giveaways and left a disproportionate number of the
classic style in our data base. We can sit and think, were the
cottonwoods preforms for "classic Ishi's?", saving preforms for
opportune times of concentration are best for advance notching. and
so on... After looking at all the Ishi's I see none that were not
very well crafted, despite the stage of reduction/production. The
medial oblique -parallel flaking on prepared platforms set and
abraded to perfection. Ishi's point style and form varied from one
setting to the next, his environment, necessity or public opinion
seems to have played a role in the point type he crafted at any one
time.
Many projectile points have a diagnostic element that may, or may
not, earmark some chronological period, region or cultural
tradition. A class of artifact sharing generalized, definable
attributes is known as a "type", the type may then intern be part of
a larger tradition. Within each tradition there are often several
distinct sub-traditions. Sub-traditions are most often characterized
by stylistic variations.
Projectile point typology has been a controversial subject, best
summarized by John C. Whitaker (1994) "Archaeologists are
occasionally accused , even today, of a pathological desire to
classify everything into neat little pigeonholes. While
classification can be carried to absurd extremes, there are a number
of good reasons why we are interested in typology, studying and
establishing schemes for classifying objects and phenomena." This
being established. the Ishi point being discussed is actually a
hybrid of a classic western point type the Desert Side Notch Point,
referred to most often as the "Redding Subtype", mean weight = 2.99+-
0.98, basal width/max. width ratio = 1.00 +- (Shackley, 2001). The
Desert Side Notch point is best known for its characteristic
Isosceles triangular, basic shape with side notches and concave
base. The blade edge is straight while other California area side
notched points have an excurvate blade edge. The average width to
thickness ratio for this point is 5/1. Some specimens have some
basal grinding for the haft. The average length of the Desert Side
Notch is 2 to 4.5 cm. The carbon 14 dates for this series suggest
that it appeared sometime after 1,100 A.D. and continued into the
Historic era. An archaeologist named Lyton found a Desert Side Notch
point in association with the charred bones of a domestic cow at
Hanging Rock Shelter, Northwest Nevada, therefore indicating use by
historic Northern Paute.
Smaller then the more stylized Ishi point, the Desert Side Notch
resembles the side notch Cahokia points from the Midwest and the
Ishi point resembles attributes of certain Basket Maker III points
of Colorado.
Not every man in the Yahi culture made and used arrowheads. Pope
(1913) stated that the flintknapping art was the special function of
the older and more skillful men. "Ishi seems to have been associated
with the medicine man of his tribe. Besides the usual customs, he
preserved many of the more highly developed arts and crafts of his
culture".
Kroeber's accounts (1961) of Ishi's practices collecting knapping
glass are quite vivid, and this particular passage captures the
event in detail: " Plate glass, brown glass from beer bottles and
the blue glass of "Milk of Magnesia bottles" were among Ishi's
favorite lithic materials. " As a final irony of the time of Ishi's
concealment, Ishi was cut off from trade to the north and south and
Yana country had no obsidian or flint. Painstakingly and silently,
Ishi had visited the length of Lassen Trail, every campsite of
emigrant, hunter or camper, up and down Deer Creek, and the cabin
middens and ranch dumps of whatever dwelling he could reach by light
and return from by night, combing them for the discarded bottles
they were likely to contain. Once back home, he shaped at his
leisure, the pieces of glass into his ammunition."
Glass knapping is more complex than it seems on first observance.
There are several techniques, some cultural and some based strictly
on the shape of the mass of glass to be reduced and subsequent
unique strategies that lend themselves strictly to shape of core
materiel (i.e.. Bottles, plate glass). The glass object, when
collected, is the basic core material.
The bottle is the first glass Ishi preform (Core ? )type. I shall
discuss (see Nami, 1984 Harwood 1986, 2001) the choosing of a suitable
bottle; there are two attributes you should consider: first, the
bottom of the bottle glass should be as close to flat at possible,
no deep concavity. Secondly, the thickness of the glass should be
enough to allow a good amount of flake reduction, about 3/16 of an
inch or better, in the bottom's center. I have knapped a substantial
number of glass arrowheads, and I have found that the best bottles
for the reduction have only a slight basal concavity, the upper face
of the bottle bottom as a slight convexity and in the center it is
nearly 1/4 inch thick. According to Mark Moore (2000) "The methods
used to manufacture glass bottles at the turn of the last century
were not equal to the mechanized bottle-making innovations seen in
the US today, bottles in the older bottles were relatively thick
(better for knapping), compared to modern bottles".
The first step in the beer bottle knapping process is to detach the
only usable portion of the bottle, the bottom. The bottom is
detached with several diverse methods. The Ishi method is carried
out with a sandstone hammer stone, using one quick percussion impact
downward at a 45 degree angle just above the base.
Next, remove the vertical, jagged glass residue (Ishi method, see
also see Harwood 1986, 2001) with light taps with a small hammer
stone. Then abraid the margin with an abrasive stone. The next phase
involves the decortication, or cortex removal. The decortication
process renders the preform into a semi lenticulation in cross-
section. This process involves the setting up of striking or
pressure platforms with pressure and shearing. Platforms are
important to prevent premature flake termination, hinge fractures,
and margin collapse by crushing. Edge preparation and center plane
alignment remains of the utmost importance during the entire
procedure, after every sequence of flake removals this must be
checked and corrected . Both edge preparation and center plane
manipulation can be easily and quickly managed by the act of
shearing (see Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979, Harwood 1986, 2001
Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .Discussing platforms in pressure
flaking terms is a precarious undertaking at best, as there are so
many variables. It can be basically summed up as an angles, rt.
angle ( 90 degrees) down to the most acute angle (less than 90
degrees) 45 degrees usually being ideal that is used to apply the
down and inward force necessary to detach a predetermined and
predictable flake. . Platforms are often isolated, an isolated
platform is an apex or faceted surface raised up by reduction of
adjacent material. Patten (1999) concludes that isolation of a
platform ensures that force is applied exactly in the right place
and is also concentrated to cause fracture to start easily. The
isolated platform may also be referred to as a nipple or spur,
depending on the relative sharpness (again see Crabtree 1972,
Callahan 1979, Harwood 1986, 2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .
Next, in the glass-lithic reduction continuum is decordication-
removing of the shinny service, and lenticualation- creating a
lenticular cross-section . This is done by make use of and creating
new abraded platforms (isolated and or continuous) and pressing off
flakes . This method involves the abrading of the preform
(unfinished, unused form of the proposed artifact) margin, platform
preparation and basic shaping. The basic platform is crated with
short flake pressed of the margin through a process known as
shearing, which is facilitated by running the edge of and antler or
bone, in a shearing motion, along the margin of the lithic preform.
The margin is then abraded with an abrasive stone or carborundum
like material. The abaiding of the platform edge remedies the fact
that untreated edges are to sharp to obtain proper bite. The actual
pressure method (see Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979, Harwood 1986,
2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999))involves pressing off flakes, from
the prepared platform, using a deer antler tine. The pressure is
forced in at a 45% angle into the prepared platform on the margin of
the preform. In the case of Ishi the preform was held in the left
hand, protected by a thick leather pad, the antler pressure applied
by the right hand.
Staging the preforms:
I took Ishi's reduction stages and applied Dr. Errett Callahan's (
1979) biface staging methodologies for my experimental reduction and
manufacturing sequencing. Lithic reduction staging for bottle glass
projectile points. Aside from the classic staging documentation of
Callahan some most intriguing ethnohistoric and experimental data
comes from several sources discussed below.
Paul Schumacher (1877) documented actual calculated biface staging
observed among the stone workers of the Klamath River Yurok.
Newcomer (1971) identified reduction staging as it applied to
aboriginal hand ax manufacture. Muto (1971), though denying an
actual distinct set of rigid stages, did apply a sequence to the
early stages of Clovis-like bifaced artifacts. Sharock (1966) gave a
five stages reduction sequence to biface reduction sequencing. A
stages sequence was applied to bottle glass reduction by the author
in 1983 and again in 1988. Nami adapted a variation of Callahan's
staging to Argentine lithic reduction in 1991. While the knapping
sequence of the traditional of lithic materials has been widely
documented ( those mentioned above to a lesser degree: Crabtree
1972 ,Callahan 1979., Whitaker, 1994 and Patten 1999 and others) ,
the study of glass knapping technology has been, for the most part,
restricted to a very few (Harwood, 1983, 1988, 2001, Wellman and
Ibarra 1978, 1988). Here again I am further adapting the stage -
sequencing theory to both plate and bottle knapping strategies .
According to Callahan biface reduction is not a random and continual
banging away at the edges, but a structured reduction strategy,
mindful of changing of width thickness relationships and edge
angles, this necessary to create a predetermined form having proper
features and attributes. This structured thought process involves
attaining stages within the reduction continuum, I submit a similar
scenario hold true for glass knapping.
Bottle Glass Reduction Stages {Figure 10}
Stage 1 - Blank: Glass bottle of suitable form for the end product.
Unmodified, beyond vertical edge removal. Plano-convex with at least
3/16 inch thickness. Detachment achieved with percussion
methodology. Stage 2 - Rough out: Through percussion methodologies a
rough outline in created through the removal of excess raw material.
Large decordication flakes create a semi-lenticular cross-section.
Flakes are exacuted form both faces of the material , but focus on
the outer zone. The roughly centered, bi-convex edge should be
neither too sharp nor too blunt (ideally between 55-75 degrees).
Plano-convexity deminished, with flakes removed from the ventral
side first.
Stage 3 - Primary Preform; Symmetrical handaxe-like outline,
lenticular cross-section and straight/centered, bi-convex edge with
edge-angles falling between 40 - 60 degrees. Percussion methods are
set aside and " power stroke" pressure is used. An antler tine,
thick bone or wooden pressure flaked or dulled wire or untempered
nail was used, according to Callahan (1999) Ishi's flaker (Ishi
Stick) was a piece of deer horn bound to a stick about a foot long A
narrative of Ishi's tools follows from Pope (1918) follows: "he used
deer horn for the heavier work, but while with us he chiefly
employed a soft iron rod three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter and
eight inches long, having a handle of padded cloth bound to it for a
distance of sic Inches. The tool must be a substance that will dent
slightly and thus engage the sharp edge of obsidian." Callahan
reflects (1999), pressure flakers, Ishi sticks to be precise, must
have a flexible main shaft or handle , a rigid handle made for
increased trauma and shorter flakes. " It has been found that a
somewhat flexible shaft of the long composite tool provides an extra
kick that will send those flakes flying". A leather or hide pad
covers the left palm.
Stage 4 -Secondary Preform; Asymmetrical outline with, lenticular
cross-sections and a straight and centered, bi-convex edge. Edge
angles should fall between 25 - 45 degrees. For Ishi, an Isosceles
triangle. A sharper pressure tool tip is needed here and both Ishi
switched to a mounted wire pressure tool for glass work. Variant
angles were selected for desired flake patterns, (i.e. parallel-
oblique flakes directed diagonally across the surface of the biface
preform).
Stage 5 - is the finished preform , final retouch, notching ,
serration or pattern flaking is employed at this stage depending on
the anticipated final product. This process was carried out with
either a wire, nail mounted tool.
According to Nelson (1916) Ishi preferred to use untempered or
detempered iron flakers and notching tools with shape round or
chisel shaped points. Ishi's tools are still in the museum of
Anthropology, University of California,
The plate glass {Figure 11}
glass plates , or glass plank is the second to be discussed. Plate
glass is a prized lithic raw material both for its shape and its
knapping quality. While bottle bottoms must be knapped with the
plano-convex attribute in the forefront of one's mind, the plate
glass is symmetrical is cross-section from Stage 1 - Blank) , the
selection of the raw material. obtaining the glass blank. For fully
functional projectile points and knives the material must have a
thickness of at least 3/16 of an inch, and 1/4 inch is the
preferred. After the plank of plate glass has been trimmed or cut to
a optimum shape and size, through etching snapping , or bipolar
splitting and shearing, the edges are ground, but not rounded,
(abraded) with an abrasive stone. When the margin is white with
abrasive scratches one can be sure no slippage will occur while
working the glass material. Again it must be stressed, edge
preparation and center plane alignment remains of the utmost
importance during the entire procedure, after every sequence of
flake removals this must be checked and corrected . Both edge
preparation and center plane manipulation can be easily and quickly
managed by the act of shearing .(see Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979,
Harwood 1986, 2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .
At this time an alternate bevel around the circumference of the
plank is achieved, known as stage 2 (Rough out):in the process.
Alternate bevels are achieved by using pressure to remove short,
stubby flakes, alternately from the face of one edge and then
flipping the plank over and repeating the process, also known as
turning the edge or initial edging. The second bevel flake uses the
declining edge of the opposed flake as a platform for applied
pressure and so on down the margin. In this fashion the knapper is
continually flipping the piece from side to side as the bevel flakes
are detached. (see alternate flaking: Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979,
Harwood 1986, 2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .
After the plank is fully alternately beveled, or turned, an
additional abrading is carried out to remove sharp brittle edges and
will cause crushing or splitting when heavy pressure is applied.
Also the abraded areas will need to hold the tip of the of the
pressure flaking tool long enough to detach a proper conchoidal
thinning flake.
Welman and Ibarra (1988) gives a proper account of stage 3 (Primary
Preform) of plank knapping to achieve the initial bifacing
attribute; "Remove flakes, starting at the potential tip ( or distal
end). Remove the flakes from each apex in sequence (In this, the
apex is the isolated platform). . Try to have the flakes meet half
way across the preform (important to create the medial ridge). Flip
the preform over and repeat the flaking process." Between flake
detachments the intermittent or delta flake must be lightly removed.
Following the face decordication process, the margins must be
sheared into proper contour and the edges, primary thinning. The
Ishi power stroke involves the following technique. The glass or
lithic piece rests is held in the left hand supported on the left
inner thigh. The pressure is applied inward steadily until maximum
force, supplied by the thigh, then a bust of force from the right
shoulder into a outward energy with a twist of the body, the power
stroke often works well as a substitute from percussion flaking on
glass, where some forms of percussion cause to much trauma to the
delicate material. This method often causes injury to the knappers
back, shoulder and wrist muscles. The flake scar on the face of the
preform resembles percussion scares, especially when delivered to an
isolated platform.
Stage 4 (Secondary Preform) involves the shaping and sharpening of
the point, what flintknapper, Joe Dabil describes as oyster shelling
as the deep contouring conchoidal flakes that give the contour and
sharp edge resemble sea shells, this is a secondary thinning
strategy that gives the reproduction an authentic "Ishi look".
Variant angles were selected for desired flake patterns, (i.e.
parallel-oblique flakes directed diagonally across the surface of
the biface preform. This also removes delta flakes. This stage also
necks in the tip and gives the preform the pointed attribute.
Stage 5 (finished preform) gives the work subtle refinements such as
edge trimming, notching serration, notching and so on. {Figure 12}
Phases of The Notch (a secondary staging, within the primary final
stage)
Stage 1: (prepetory) Carefully supporting the biface in a padded
left palm, Ishi was right handed" "Using point of tool methodology"
and a "less sharp tool" , a retouch tool, take a prepetory (guiding/
thinning) flake at the location of the proposed notch. Flip over,
carefully calculate position of first notch location and repeat.
Then lightly shear or abraded margin and leading edge (above and
below where the notch will begin) of prepatoy flake scar for
strength, so the notch won't blow out later in the process.
According to Nelson (1916) and Pope (1918), Ishi preferred to use
untempered or detempered iron flakers and notching tools with sharp
round or chisel shaped points. Ishi's tools are still in the museum
of Anthropology, University of California. It is important to note
(Harwood 2000, Paten )1999 for an ideal notching environment a thin
preform is best. At the end of this stage results obtained are notch
locations have been selected thinned and prepped for stage 2,
entering.
Stage 2: (Entering) Carefully supporting the biface, especially
around the notch, reducing bending fractures in a padded left palm,
or in some cases on a leather pad on a flat surface (Titmus, 1985)
Using the "side of tool" methodology, with the flat ended tool, the
first of a series of alternate crescent flakes are "snapped"
Important to calculate centerline on each of the proceeding
detachments, the centerline platform must be below 50% . The tool
must be very sharp and thin. It is imperative that the centerline
platform of the notch not exceed 1/4 of the margin centerline. The
centerline is your platform. The meat under the notch must stay
thin, if the platform rises the platform will crush and a slick wall
will present problematic scenarios. The inward and slightly downward
pressure and platform surface contact areas must not be extensive or
abrupt or end shock with snap off the base of the point or the notch
opening tang will blow off and open the closed end notch opening.
Blown open closed end notch openings and severed basal regions, from
end shock, are observed on several of the Ishi specimens. Notching
requires a steady hand and a steady build up of pressure with a
slight rocking motion, but a sliding in and down at release. Follow
this pattern and reach around under the center line at 75% when
obstacle mass impedes or binds the process, "slide away" methods to
abrade and prepare is sometime applied. Many knappers suggest the
notch should be made with two small flakes rather than one (see
Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979, Harwood 2001, Whitaker 1994, Patten
1999) . This gives you a second chance should you crush a platform ,
At the end of this stage results obtained are notch locations have
been selected thinned and prepped, a deep and very thin notch has
been symmetrically achieved via the notch entering process, "closed
notch opening" intact.
Stage 3" (Tear dropping) Carefully supporting the biface, especially
around the notch, reducing bending fractures in a padded left palm,
Ishi was right handed, or in some cases on a leather pad on a flat
surface (Titmus, 1985) "Using point of tool methodology," the sharp
tool is utilized. The tip is very carefully inserted of the inner
end of the thin elongated notch. The tool must be very sharp and
thin. The downward pressure and platform surface contact areas must
not be extensive or the very crescent flake that you desire
will "fallow the lip,"("toilet bowl effect", follows the rim)
encompass the notch opening tang and blow open the closed end notch
opening. Blown open closed end notch openings and severed basal
regions, from "the toilet bowl effect", are observed on several of
the Ishi specimens. To give extra control and minimize the excess
endshock trauma, and the toilet bowl effect, Ishi would wrap the
left thumb in soft leather and punch the notch in perpendicular to
the margin of the biface or from the corner while holding the object
between the left thumb and index finger (Nelson 1916, Titmus, 1985,
Shackley 2001). Once the notch has been entered, the knapper must
keep the tool tip away from the notch opening tangs a slight touch
from the metallic tip will cause a micro end shock and blow open the
closed end notch opening. The preform is horizontal and the tool is
vertical, but this is often modified to various degrees given the
many variables encountered. The wrist is cocked downward and inward
on the inner left thigh in an uncomfortable posture. Obtaining
contact at, or below, the center line slidaway toward the tip
(proximal end) of the preform, utilize alternate flake sequence to
insure correct centerline platform placement and utilization..
Repeat this procedure on the other side for a symmetrical notched
point. At the end of this stage results obtained are notch locations
have been selected thinned and prepped, a deep and very thin notch
has been symmetrically achieved via the notch entering process, and
an interior teardrop or "keyhole" notch has been achieved "closed
notch opening" intact.
Stage 4 (Final retouch) Final retouch is conducted after the notches
are intact, as this is time and labor intensive and often fails as
the result of base snap. After the notches are complete , using the
sharp tool, point of tool methodology is used to clean, clarify and
obtain final sharpening. The base is shallowed and shape clarified
at this time. The outside of the notch opening of is in need of
clarification of symmetry at the end of this stage results obtained
are notch locations have been selected thinned and prepped, a deep
and very thin notch has been symmetrically achieved via the notch
entering process, and an interior teardrop or "keyhole" notch has
been achieved "closed notch opening" intact and the point is
finished.
Other Points of glass: Most lithic artifacts in America came from
weapons used prior to the arrival of the bow and arrow. In Australia
there was no arrival of the bow and arrow. On each continent the
vast majority of lithic projectile points were that of atlatl dart
or spear points. This is not true however with the glass projectile
points. In most of America the bow had fully replaced the altatl
technology . A projectile point is principally a devise used to kill
by introducing the tip, carried by a shaft into the flesh of the
prey. However, in Australia, and with Ishi at the Museum, the glass
points were quite often a trade item or collectable anomaly rather
than an actual field projectile point. There are other, less
documented, studies such as Dr. Hugo Nami's (1984) report on the
proto-historic use of glass in projectile point manufacture by the
Ona Indians of Tierra Del Fuego at least as late as 1910, the
Bushmen of Africa have been knapping manufactured glass for 250
years, and the excavations of late show glass knapping technology
among warriors of the Great Planes and the African slaves of the
deep south.
Ishi's friend Dr. Saxton Pope wrote this of Ishi when he died; "He
closes a chapter in history. He looked upon us as sophisticated
children, smart, but not wise....He knew nature which is always
true. His were the qualities of character that last forever. He was
kind; he had courage and self-restraint, and though all had been
taken from him, there was not bitterness in his heart. His soul was
that of a child, his mind that of a philosopher."
It seemed strange to me that Ishi's methods and way of posture and
so similar to most western modern knappers, not the southern table
top pressure, until I thought again of Crabtree, he worker with the
points - his fingerprints grace the cortex along with Kroeber's, -
Pope's, Nelson's and Shakley's.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Burrill, Richard
1990 Ishi, America's Last Stone Age Indian. The Anthro
Company. Sacramento, CA.
Callahan, Errett
1979 The Basics of Biface Knapping In The Eastern Fluted Point
Tradition. A
Manual for Flintknappers And Lithic Analysts. Archaeology of Eastern
North America, Vol. 7. Pp. 1-180. ed. Brennan, New York.
Callahan, Errett
1999 Ishi Sticks, Iceman Picks and Good For Nothing Things. Bulletin
of Primitive
Technology No. 18 Pp. 60-68 .ed. Wescott, Idaho.
Crabtree, Donald
1972 An Introduction to Flintworking. Occasional Papers, Idaho
University
Museum.
Harwood, Joyce Ann
2000 Walking With Ishi. Bulletin of Primitive Technology (No.
20).Pp. 84-87 .ed. Wescott, Idaho.
Harwood, Ray
1986 California Points, Ancient Man Information Exchange, Vol. 2
Tekakawitha
Institute of Ancient Man, Woodbridge, Virginia. Pp. 4-32. ed
Porcelli. Virginia.
Harwood, Ray
1988 Flintknapping Bottle Glass. 20TH Century Lithics. Mound Builder
Books,
Branson, MO. ed. Waldof, Missouri. Pp. 45-47.
Harwood, Ray
1999 History Of Modern Flintknapping. World Flintknapping Society.
Occasional Papers #2.
Harwood, Ray
2001 Points of Light, Dreams of Glass : An Introduction into Vitrum
Technology.
Bulletin of Primitive Technology (No. 21).Pp. 24-36 .ed. Wescott,
Idaho.
ISHI and His Points
ISHI AND HIS POINTS
My name is Ray Harwood, I have only achieved a
BA in Anthropology. However, I have been flintknapping
for 35 years. On several occasions I have been requested to submit
specific research technical papers for publication.
I am requesting access to the Ishi lithics for collection
for the purpose of measuring, weighing and classifying
the projectile points and subsequent byproducts of Ishi’s
knapping process. Furthermore, the lithic classification
of the byproduct material based on material and attribute
analysis.
For Book: Papers in Honor of Errett Callahan, PhD, Hugo Nami, Ph.D. Ed.)
Rough Draft By: Ray Harwood,
Life and Lithics, the Saga of 1-24363, The Classic Ishi Point.
E-mailed as a partially complete document to johnsonnl@berkeley.edu ).
. The purpose of this article/ chapter is to document certain aspects of
the "lithic" reduction/ production sequences of a certain
protohistoric artifact anomaly, the glass Ishi, specifically those
crafted from man made colored bottle and clear window glass, by Ishi
at the museum, circa 1911.
Flintknapping today is a part of the world lived in by a very few,
but at one time it was part of everyone's world to some degree. The
transition of these worlds was paved with horror and death. The man
named Ishi was at the end of that time and the start of this time.
Like Alice through the looking glass Ishi entered a new and strange
world, from his wilderness life to one with foolish devices and
white people running about like mad rodents. The new world was a
dream like circus, but a dream come true and a deliverance from the
nightmare of solitude .It was considered of the utmost importance
not to understate the importance of Ishi's background, the dark
horror that was the American holocaust. (see Kroeber 1961, Burrill
1990, Harwood, R. 1999 , Harwood, J. 2000, Shackley 1996) The
darkest hour is just before the dawn and it was just the break of
dawn, on a hot August night, the 9th, of August 1911, some miles
south of Red Bluff, California, a down trodden, exhausted and
fearful man was found in the stable of the Charles Ward
Slaughterhouse on Oro-Quincy Road . The story ends with Ishi's
lifeless brain being carved out of his skull and sent to the
Smithsonian. The ashes placed in a small black jar. Ishi's remains
have been repatriated under the provisions of the National Museum of
the American Indian Act of 1989, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 80q et seq.
(see Rockafeller, 1999)
Today Ishi is well known for the arrowhead named after him, a
stylized side notch type, he commonly knapped at his museum home, In
this case, Ishi's short five-year stay at the Museum of
Anthropology, University of California, a legend born of an odessy
that began August the 9th, of August 1911 ending on Ishi's death
March 25, 1916. According to Nelson (1916) . Nothing gave Ishi, and
the visiting public, as much interest and satisfaction as his
arrowhead chipping. The Ishi Point type discussed, he made several
varieties, is as follows: The classic Ishi point is best known for
its symmetrical tear drop notches in the lower margin of the point.
The notch enters at less than a thirty-second on an inch at the
entry point then expand to an eighth of an inch wide or more in the
body of the point. The deep teardrop notches extend three eighths to
a quarter of an inch deep into the face of the basal region. This
gives the neck area, between the notches, a similar diameter of the
prospective arrow shaft creating the perfect haft.
The classic Ishi point has a blade edge that is either straight or
incurvate. The base is concave. The point has sharp angular ears
below the characteristic notches. The point has a triangular form
giving the point the overall delicate but deadly outline. The point
has diffuse diamond cross-section created by a medial ridge. Ishi
points have closed tear drop notches.
The medial section of the Ishi point has subtle oblique flaking
patterns, more pronounced on the elongated specimens. Oblique or
parallel flaking is done, according to Errett Callahan, to create an
extremely sharp edge, as oblique edges do not have delta flakes and
therefore less final retouch is necessary and the blade edge is
razor sharp. The blade edge on an Ishi point is usually incurvate,
this a result of the final pass of oblique medial flakes. The clear
glass material gives the point an ice crystal look, that combined
with its' oblique parallel pattern flakes and near perfect symmetry,
transcends all description of beauty. Ishi collector Charlie Shewey,
relayed to me that the last authentic Ishi point that sold at
auction sold for a cool $27,000.00, other black market dealers, underworld,
state $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 for those not of the classic “Ishi” form. .
To demonstrate the diversity of Ishi's points and existing specimen
data of Ishi's points(see Shackley , 1991, 1994, , 1996, 2000 ).
Unfortunately Ishi gave away and sold many of his points while doing
his demonstrations. But fortunately there are 120 specimens in
museums and 4 in private collections, some of which are now
available as castings. The "classic Glass Ishi" is an ornate Desert
Side Notch, and the style reflected in this paper, the totals of
these specimens is 49 and another 8 DSN with serrated edges,
certainly not what most of us see in our minds eye as a true "Ishi"
yet he made them. 17 of the specimens are corner notched, expanding
stem points, with another 5 of these being the same form but
serrated - again = certainly not what most of us see in our minds
eye as a true "Ishi" yet he made them. 10 of the Ishi specimens are
of the cottonwood triangular -concave base-again = certainly not
what most of us see in our minds eye as a true "Ishi" yet he made
them. 18 are basal notched with contracting stem, 6 more are basal
notched with contracting stem but serrated-again = certainly not
what most of us see in our minds eye as a true "Ishi" yet he made
them. Of the "classic Ishi" is a ornate Desert Side Notch the bulk
were made after , and during, 1911 at the museum 49 in the museum
collections, 4 in private collections for a total of 53, 2 were
excavated at Payne's Cave, TEH193 (see Shackley , 1991, 1994, ,
1996, 2000 ), 3 at Kingsley Cave, TEH-1, (again see Shackley , 1991,
1994, , 1996, 2000 ). For a grant total of 53 classic Ishi points .
The problem with cross-tabulation for statistical data is this, what
if Ishi (or Kroeber) simply held on to his best points, or his
worst? this would have set a majority of "non classic Ishi's into
the public giveaways and left a disproportionate number of the
classic style in our data base. We can sit and think, were the
cottonwoods preforms for "classic Ishi's?", saving preforms for
opportune times of concentration are best for advance notching. and
so on... After looking at all the Ishi's I see none that were not
very well crafted, despite the stage of reduction/production. The
medial oblique -parallel flaking on prepared platforms set and
abraded to perfection. Ishi's point style and form varied from one
setting to the next, his environment, necessity or public opinion
seems to have played a role in the point type he crafted at any one
time.
Many projectile points have a diagnostic element that may, or may
not, earmark some chronological period, region or cultural
tradition. A class of artifact sharing generalized, definable
attributes is known as a "type", the type may then intern be part of
a larger tradition. Within each tradition there are often several
distinct sub-traditions. Sub-traditions are most often characterized
by stylistic variations.
Projectile point typology has been a controversial subject, best
summarized by John C. Whitaker (1994) "Archaeologists are
occasionally accused , even today, of a pathological desire to
classify everything into neat little pigeonholes. While
classification can be carried to absurd extremes, there are a number
of good reasons why we are interested in typology, studying and
establishing schemes for classifying objects and phenomena." This
being established. the Ishi point being discussed is actually a
hybrid of a classic western point type the Desert Side Notch Point,
referred to most often as the "Redding Subtype", mean weight = 2.99+-
0.98, basal width/max. width ratio = 1.00 +- (Shackley, 2001). The
Desert Side Notch point is best known for its characteristic
Isosceles triangular, basic shape with side notches and concave
base. The blade edge is straight while other California area side
notched points have an excurvate blade edge. The average width to
thickness ratio for this point is 5/1. Some specimens have some
basal grinding for the haft. The average length of the Desert Side
Notch is 2 to 4.5 cm. The carbon 14 dates for this series suggest
that it appeared sometime after 1,100 A.D. and continued into the
Historic era. An archaeologist named Lyton found a Desert Side Notch
point in association with the charred bones of a domestic cow at
Hanging Rock Shelter, Northwest Nevada, therefore indicating use by
historic Northern Paute.
Smaller then the more stylized Ishi point, the Desert Side Notch
resembles the side notch Cahokia points from the Midwest and the
Ishi point resembles attributes of certain Basket Maker III points
of Colorado.
Not every man in the Yahi culture made and used arrowheads. Pope
(1913) stated that the flintknapping art was the special function of
the older and more skillful men. "Ishi seems to have been associated
with the medicine man of his tribe. Besides the usual customs, he
preserved many of the more highly developed arts and crafts of his
culture".
Kroeber's accounts (1961) of Ishi's practices collecting knapping
glass are quite vivid, and this particular passage captures the
event in detail: " Plate glass, brown glass from beer bottles and
the blue glass of "Milk of Magnesia bottles" were among Ishi's
favorite lithic materials. " As a final irony of the time of Ishi's
concealment, Ishi was cut off from trade to the north and south and
Yana country had no obsidian or flint. Painstakingly and silently,
Ishi had visited the length of Lassen Trail, every campsite of
emigrant, hunter or camper, up and down Deer Creek, and the cabin
middens and ranch dumps of whatever dwelling he could reach by light
and return from by night, combing them for the discarded bottles
they were likely to contain. Once back home, he shaped at his
leisure, the pieces of glass into his ammunition."
Glass knapping is more complex than it seems on first observance.
There are several techniques, some cultural and some based strictly
on the shape of the mass of glass to be reduced and subsequent
unique strategies that lend themselves strictly to shape of core
materiel (i.e.. Bottles, plate glass). The glass object, when
collected, is the basic core material.
The bottle is the first glass Ishi preform (Core ? )type. I shall
discuss (see Nami, 1984 Harwood 1986, 2001) the choosing of a suitable
bottle; there are two attributes you should consider: first, the
bottom of the bottle glass should be as close to flat at possible,
no deep concavity. Secondly, the thickness of the glass should be
enough to allow a good amount of flake reduction, about 3/16 of an
inch or better, in the bottom's center. I have knapped a substantial
number of glass arrowheads, and I have found that the best bottles
for the reduction have only a slight basal concavity, the upper face
of the bottle bottom as a slight convexity and in the center it is
nearly 1/4 inch thick. According to Mark Moore (2000) "The methods
used to manufacture glass bottles at the turn of the last century
were not equal to the mechanized bottle-making innovations seen in
the US today, bottles in the older bottles were relatively thick
(better for knapping), compared to modern bottles".
The first step in the beer bottle knapping process is to detach the
only usable portion of the bottle, the bottom. The bottom is
detached with several diverse methods. The Ishi method is carried
out with a sandstone hammer stone, using one quick percussion impact
downward at a 45 degree angle just above the base.
Next, remove the vertical, jagged glass residue (Ishi method, see
also see Harwood 1986, 2001) with light taps with a small hammer
stone. Then abraid the margin with an abrasive stone. The next phase
involves the decortication, or cortex removal. The decortication
process renders the preform into a semi lenticulation in cross-
section. This process involves the setting up of striking or
pressure platforms with pressure and shearing. Platforms are
important to prevent premature flake termination, hinge fractures,
and margin collapse by crushing. Edge preparation and center plane
alignment remains of the utmost importance during the entire
procedure, after every sequence of flake removals this must be
checked and corrected . Both edge preparation and center plane
manipulation can be easily and quickly managed by the act of
shearing (see Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979, Harwood 1986, 2001
Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .Discussing platforms in pressure
flaking terms is a precarious undertaking at best, as there are so
many variables. It can be basically summed up as an angles, rt.
angle ( 90 degrees) down to the most acute angle (less than 90
degrees) 45 degrees usually being ideal that is used to apply the
down and inward force necessary to detach a predetermined and
predictable flake. . Platforms are often isolated, an isolated
platform is an apex or faceted surface raised up by reduction of
adjacent material. Patten (1999) concludes that isolation of a
platform ensures that force is applied exactly in the right place
and is also concentrated to cause fracture to start easily. The
isolated platform may also be referred to as a nipple or spur,
depending on the relative sharpness (again see Crabtree 1972,
Callahan 1979, Harwood 1986, 2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .
Next, in the glass-lithic reduction continuum is decordication-
removing of the shinny service, and lenticualation- creating a
lenticular cross-section . This is done by make use of and creating
new abraded platforms (isolated and or continuous) and pressing off
flakes . This method involves the abrading of the preform
(unfinished, unused form of the proposed artifact) margin, platform
preparation and basic shaping. The basic platform is crated with
short flake pressed of the margin through a process known as
shearing, which is facilitated by running the edge of and antler or
bone, in a shearing motion, along the margin of the lithic preform.
The margin is then abraded with an abrasive stone or carborundum
like material. The abaiding of the platform edge remedies the fact
that untreated edges are to sharp to obtain proper bite. The actual
pressure method (see Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979, Harwood 1986,
2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999))involves pressing off flakes, from
the prepared platform, using a deer antler tine. The pressure is
forced in at a 45% angle into the prepared platform on the margin of
the preform. In the case of Ishi the preform was held in the left
hand, protected by a thick leather pad, the antler pressure applied
by the right hand.
Staging the preforms:
I took Ishi's reduction stages and applied Dr. Errett Callahan's (
1979) biface staging methodologies for my experimental reduction and
manufacturing sequencing. Lithic reduction staging for bottle glass
projectile points. Aside from the classic staging documentation of
Callahan some most intriguing ethnohistoric and experimental data
comes from several sources discussed below.
Paul Schumacher (1877) documented actual calculated biface staging
observed among the stone workers of the Klamath River Yurok.
Newcomer (1971) identified reduction staging as it applied to
aboriginal hand ax manufacture. Muto (1971), though denying an
actual distinct set of rigid stages, did apply a sequence to the
early stages of Clovis-like bifaced artifacts. Sharock (1966) gave a
five stages reduction sequence to biface reduction sequencing. A
stages sequence was applied to bottle glass reduction by the author
in 1983 and again in 1988. Nami adapted a variation of Callahan's
staging to Argentine lithic reduction in 1991. While the knapping
sequence of the traditional of lithic materials has been widely
documented ( those mentioned above to a lesser degree: Crabtree
1972 ,Callahan 1979., Whitaker, 1994 and Patten 1999 and others) ,
the study of glass knapping technology has been, for the most part,
restricted to a very few (Harwood, 1983, 1988, 2001, Wellman and
Ibarra 1978, 1988). Here again I am further adapting the stage -
sequencing theory to both plate and bottle knapping strategies .
According to Callahan biface reduction is not a random and continual
banging away at the edges, but a structured reduction strategy,
mindful of changing of width thickness relationships and edge
angles, this necessary to create a predetermined form having proper
features and attributes. This structured thought process involves
attaining stages within the reduction continuum, I submit a similar
scenario hold true for glass knapping.
Bottle Glass Reduction Stages {Figure 10}
Stage 1 - Blank: Glass bottle of suitable form for the end product.
Unmodified, beyond vertical edge removal. Plano-convex with at least
3/16 inch thickness. Detachment achieved with percussion
methodology. Stage 2 - Rough out: Through percussion methodologies a
rough outline in created through the removal of excess raw material.
Large decordication flakes create a semi-lenticular cross-section.
Flakes are exacuted form both faces of the material , but focus on
the outer zone. The roughly centered, bi-convex edge should be
neither too sharp nor too blunt (ideally between 55-75 degrees).
Plano-convexity deminished, with flakes removed from the ventral
side first.
Stage 3 - Primary Preform; Symmetrical handaxe-like outline,
lenticular cross-section and straight/centered, bi-convex edge with
edge-angles falling between 40 - 60 degrees. Percussion methods are
set aside and " power stroke" pressure is used. An antler tine,
thick bone or wooden pressure flaked or dulled wire or untempered
nail was used, according to Callahan (1999) Ishi's flaker (Ishi
Stick) was a piece of deer horn bound to a stick about a foot long A
narrative of Ishi's tools follows from Pope (1918) follows: "he used
deer horn for the heavier work, but while with us he chiefly
employed a soft iron rod three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter and
eight inches long, having a handle of padded cloth bound to it for a
distance of sic Inches. The tool must be a substance that will dent
slightly and thus engage the sharp edge of obsidian." Callahan
reflects (1999), pressure flakers, Ishi sticks to be precise, must
have a flexible main shaft or handle , a rigid handle made for
increased trauma and shorter flakes. " It has been found that a
somewhat flexible shaft of the long composite tool provides an extra
kick that will send those flakes flying". A leather or hide pad
covers the left palm.
Stage 4 -Secondary Preform; Asymmetrical outline with, lenticular
cross-sections and a straight and centered, bi-convex edge. Edge
angles should fall between 25 - 45 degrees. For Ishi, an Isosceles
triangle. A sharper pressure tool tip is needed here and both Ishi
switched to a mounted wire pressure tool for glass work. Variant
angles were selected for desired flake patterns, (i.e. parallel-
oblique flakes directed diagonally across the surface of the biface
preform).
Stage 5 - is the finished preform , final retouch, notching ,
serration or pattern flaking is employed at this stage depending on
the anticipated final product. This process was carried out with
either a wire, nail mounted tool.
According to Nelson (1916) Ishi preferred to use untempered or
detempered iron flakers and notching tools with shape round or
chisel shaped points. Ishi's tools are still in the museum of
Anthropology, University of California,
The plate glass {Figure 11}
glass plates , or glass plank is the second to be discussed. Plate
glass is a prized lithic raw material both for its shape and its
knapping quality. While bottle bottoms must be knapped with the
plano-convex attribute in the forefront of one's mind, the plate
glass is symmetrical is cross-section from Stage 1 - Blank) , the
selection of the raw material. obtaining the glass blank. For fully
functional projectile points and knives the material must have a
thickness of at least 3/16 of an inch, and 1/4 inch is the
preferred. After the plank of plate glass has been trimmed or cut to
a optimum shape and size, through etching snapping , or bipolar
splitting and shearing, the edges are ground, but not rounded,
(abraded) with an abrasive stone. When the margin is white with
abrasive scratches one can be sure no slippage will occur while
working the glass material. Again it must be stressed, edge
preparation and center plane alignment remains of the utmost
importance during the entire procedure, after every sequence of
flake removals this must be checked and corrected . Both edge
preparation and center plane manipulation can be easily and quickly
managed by the act of shearing .(see Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979,
Harwood 1986, 2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .
At this time an alternate bevel around the circumference of the
plank is achieved, known as stage 2 (Rough out):in the process.
Alternate bevels are achieved by using pressure to remove short,
stubby flakes, alternately from the face of one edge and then
flipping the plank over and repeating the process, also known as
turning the edge or initial edging. The second bevel flake uses the
declining edge of the opposed flake as a platform for applied
pressure and so on down the margin. In this fashion the knapper is
continually flipping the piece from side to side as the bevel flakes
are detached. (see alternate flaking: Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979,
Harwood 1986, 2001 Whitaker 1994, Patten 1999) .
After the plank is fully alternately beveled, or turned, an
additional abrading is carried out to remove sharp brittle edges and
will cause crushing or splitting when heavy pressure is applied.
Also the abraded areas will need to hold the tip of the of the
pressure flaking tool long enough to detach a proper conchoidal
thinning flake.
Welman and Ibarra (1988) gives a proper account of stage 3 (Primary
Preform) of plank knapping to achieve the initial bifacing
attribute; "Remove flakes, starting at the potential tip ( or distal
end). Remove the flakes from each apex in sequence (In this, the
apex is the isolated platform). . Try to have the flakes meet half
way across the preform (important to create the medial ridge). Flip
the preform over and repeat the flaking process." Between flake
detachments the intermittent or delta flake must be lightly removed.
Following the face decordication process, the margins must be
sheared into proper contour and the edges, primary thinning. The
Ishi power stroke involves the following technique. The glass or
lithic piece rests is held in the left hand supported on the left
inner thigh. The pressure is applied inward steadily until maximum
force, supplied by the thigh, then a bust of force from the right
shoulder into a outward energy with a twist of the body, the power
stroke often works well as a substitute from percussion flaking on
glass, where some forms of percussion cause to much trauma to the
delicate material. This method often causes injury to the knappers
back, shoulder and wrist muscles. The flake scar on the face of the
preform resembles percussion scares, especially when delivered to an
isolated platform.
Stage 4 (Secondary Preform) involves the shaping and sharpening of
the point, what flintknapper, Joe Dabil describes as oyster shelling
as the deep contouring conchoidal flakes that give the contour and
sharp edge resemble sea shells, this is a secondary thinning
strategy that gives the reproduction an authentic "Ishi look".
Variant angles were selected for desired flake patterns, (i.e.
parallel-oblique flakes directed diagonally across the surface of
the biface preform. This also removes delta flakes. This stage also
necks in the tip and gives the preform the pointed attribute.
Stage 5 (finished preform) gives the work subtle refinements such as
edge trimming, notching serration, notching and so on. {Figure 12}
Phases of The Notch (a secondary staging, within the primary final
stage)
Stage 1: (prepetory) Carefully supporting the biface in a padded
left palm, Ishi was right handed" "Using point of tool methodology"
and a "less sharp tool" , a retouch tool, take a prepetory (guiding/
thinning) flake at the location of the proposed notch. Flip over,
carefully calculate position of first notch location and repeat.
Then lightly shear or abraded margin and leading edge (above and
below where the notch will begin) of prepatoy flake scar for
strength, so the notch won't blow out later in the process.
According to Nelson (1916) and Pope (1918), Ishi preferred to use
untempered or detempered iron flakers and notching tools with sharp
round or chisel shaped points. Ishi's tools are still in the museum
of Anthropology, University of California. It is important to note
(Harwood 2000, Paten )1999 for an ideal notching environment a thin
preform is best. At the end of this stage results obtained are notch
locations have been selected thinned and prepped for stage 2,
entering.
Stage 2: (Entering) Carefully supporting the biface, especially
around the notch, reducing bending fractures in a padded left palm,
or in some cases on a leather pad on a flat surface (Titmus, 1985)
Using the "side of tool" methodology, with the flat ended tool, the
first of a series of alternate crescent flakes are "snapped"
Important to calculate centerline on each of the proceeding
detachments, the centerline platform must be below 50% . The tool
must be very sharp and thin. It is imperative that the centerline
platform of the notch not exceed 1/4 of the margin centerline. The
centerline is your platform. The meat under the notch must stay
thin, if the platform rises the platform will crush and a slick wall
will present problematic scenarios. The inward and slightly downward
pressure and platform surface contact areas must not be extensive or
abrupt or end shock with snap off the base of the point or the notch
opening tang will blow off and open the closed end notch opening.
Blown open closed end notch openings and severed basal regions, from
end shock, are observed on several of the Ishi specimens. Notching
requires a steady hand and a steady build up of pressure with a
slight rocking motion, but a sliding in and down at release. Follow
this pattern and reach around under the center line at 75% when
obstacle mass impedes or binds the process, "slide away" methods to
abrade and prepare is sometime applied. Many knappers suggest the
notch should be made with two small flakes rather than one (see
Crabtree 1972, Callahan 1979, Harwood 2001, Whitaker 1994, Patten
1999) . This gives you a second chance should you crush a platform ,
At the end of this stage results obtained are notch locations have
been selected thinned and prepped, a deep and very thin notch has
been symmetrically achieved via the notch entering process, "closed
notch opening" intact.
Stage 3" (Tear dropping) Carefully supporting the biface, especially
around the notch, reducing bending fractures in a padded left palm,
Ishi was right handed, or in some cases on a leather pad on a flat
surface (Titmus, 1985) "Using point of tool methodology," the sharp
tool is utilized. The tip is very carefully inserted of the inner
end of the thin elongated notch. The tool must be very sharp and
thin. The downward pressure and platform surface contact areas must
not be extensive or the very crescent flake that you desire
will "fallow the lip,"("toilet bowl effect", follows the rim)
encompass the notch opening tang and blow open the closed end notch
opening. Blown open closed end notch openings and severed basal
regions, from "the toilet bowl effect", are observed on several of
the Ishi specimens. To give extra control and minimize the excess
endshock trauma, and the toilet bowl effect, Ishi would wrap the
left thumb in soft leather and punch the notch in perpendicular to
the margin of the biface or from the corner while holding the object
between the left thumb and index finger (Nelson 1916, Titmus, 1985,
Shackley 2001). Once the notch has been entered, the knapper must
keep the tool tip away from the notch opening tangs a slight touch
from the metallic tip will cause a micro end shock and blow open the
closed end notch opening. The preform is horizontal and the tool is
vertical, but this is often modified to various degrees given the
many variables encountered. The wrist is cocked downward and inward
on the inner left thigh in an uncomfortable posture. Obtaining
contact at, or below, the center line slidaway toward the tip
(proximal end) of the preform, utilize alternate flake sequence to
insure correct centerline platform placement and utilization..
Repeat this procedure on the other side for a symmetrical notched
point. At the end of this stage results obtained are notch locations
have been selected thinned and prepped, a deep and very thin notch
has been symmetrically achieved via the notch entering process, and
an interior teardrop or "keyhole" notch has been achieved "closed
notch opening" intact.
Stage 4 (Final retouch) Final retouch is conducted after the notches
are intact, as this is time and labor intensive and often fails as
the result of base snap. After the notches are complete , using the
sharp tool, point of tool methodology is used to clean, clarify and
obtain final sharpening. The base is shallowed and shape clarified
at this time. The outside of the notch opening of is in need of
clarification of symmetry at the end of this stage results obtained
are notch locations have been selected thinned and prepped, a deep
and very thin notch has been symmetrically achieved via the notch
entering process, and an interior teardrop or "keyhole" notch has
been achieved "closed notch opening" intact and the point is
finished.
Other Points of glass: Most lithic artifacts in America came from
weapons used prior to the arrival of the bow and arrow. In Australia
there was no arrival of the bow and arrow. On each continent the
vast majority of lithic projectile points were that of atlatl dart
or spear points. This is not true however with the glass projectile
points. In most of America the bow had fully replaced the altatl
technology . A projectile point is principally a devise used to kill
by introducing the tip, carried by a shaft into the flesh of the
prey. However, in Australia, and with Ishi at the Museum, the glass
points were quite often a trade item or collectable anomaly rather
than an actual field projectile point. There are other, less
documented, studies such as Dr. Hugo Nami's (1984) report on the
proto-historic use of glass in projectile point manufacture by the
Ona Indians of Tierra Del Fuego at least as late as 1910, the
Bushmen of Africa have been knapping manufactured glass for 250
years, and the excavations of late show glass knapping technology
among warriors of the Great Planes and the African slaves of the
deep south.
Ishi's friend Dr. Saxton Pope wrote this of Ishi when he died; "He
closes a chapter in history. He looked upon us as sophisticated
children, smart, but not wise....He knew nature which is always
true. His were the qualities of character that last forever. He was
kind; he had courage and self-restraint, and though all had been
taken from him, there was not bitterness in his heart. His soul was
that of a child, his mind that of a philosopher."
It seemed strange to me that Ishi's methods and way of posture and
so similar to most western modern knappers, not the southern table
top pressure, until I thought again of Crabtree, he worker with the
points - his fingerprints grace the cortex along with Kroeber's, -
Pope's, Nelson's and Shakley's.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Burrill, Richard
1990 Ishi, America's Last Stone Age Indian. The Anthro
Company. Sacramento, CA.
Callahan, Errett
1979 The Basics of Biface Knapping In The Eastern Fluted Point
Tradition. A
Manual for Flintknappers And Lithic Analysts. Archaeology of Eastern
North America, Vol. 7. Pp. 1-180. ed. Brennan, New York.
Callahan, Errett
1999 Ishi Sticks, Iceman Picks and Good For Nothing Things. Bulletin
of Primitive
Technology No. 18 Pp. 60-68 .ed. Wescott, Idaho.
Crabtree, Donald
1972 An Introduction to Flintworking. Occasional Papers, Idaho
University
Museum.
Harwood, Joyce Ann
2000 Walking With Ishi. Bulletin of Primitive Technology (No.
20).Pp. 84-87 .ed. Wescott, Idaho.
Harwood, Ray
1986 California Points, Ancient Man Information Exchange, Vol. 2
Tekakawitha
Institute of Ancient Man, Woodbridge, Virginia. Pp. 4-32. ed
Porcelli. Virginia.
Harwood, Ray
1988 Flintknapping Bottle Glass. 20TH Century Lithics. Mound Builder
Books,
Branson, MO. ed. Waldof, Missouri. Pp. 45-47.
Harwood, Ray
1999 History Of Modern Flintknapping. World Flintknapping Society.
Occasional Papers #2.
Harwood, Ray
2001 Points of Light, Dreams of Glass : An Introduction into Vitrum
Technology.
Bulletin of Primitive Technology (No. 21).Pp. 24-36 .ed. Wescott,
Idaho.
Monday, June 05, 2006
WRIGHT WOOD KNAP IN
WRIGHTWOOD KNAP IN STARTED IN 1984, SET UP BY RAY HARWOOD AND ALTON SAFFORD AT JACKSON LAKE., BUT OUR FIRST CALIFORNIA FLINTKNAPPING RENDEZVOUS WAS IN 1983 AT CSUN. SET UP BY RAY HARWOOD. AT THE FIRST KNAP IN 1983 : RAY HARWOOD, ALTON SAFFORD, JOHN ATWOOD, RICK WESSEL, CLAY SINGER, GEORGE HUFF, JENNIE BINNING, ROY VANDERHOOK, TERRY FREDERICK, JOE DABIL, FRED BUDINGER, TED HARWOOD, NANCY HARWOOD, BRIAN GUNTHER, AND A HOST OF OTHERS. FIRST LOCATION: C.S.U.N. . SECOND: JACKSON LAKE FLAT. THIRD; CAMP GUFFY (TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN) FOURTH: INDIAN HILLS RANCH. Ray had flintknapped in an artistic vacuum until he was in his early 20s. This is when Ray met fellow Ishi fans, Joe Dabil, Barney DeSimone, Steve Carter, Jim Win, Jennie Binning and Alton Safford. Barney had a small business called Yana Enterprises where he marketed his Ishi posters and items and had become an expert Ishi style knapper, to the point that he had killed a wild boar on Catalina Island armed with a sinew backed bow and Ishi tipped arrow of glass of his own making. Atlton was an avid traditional bow hunter and knapper, he had even hunted big game in Africa a few times with stone points. Years later Alton and Ray started the yearly California Flintknapping Rendezvous. Joe Dabil had become a California legend by the late 1970s and had the nick name of "Indian Joe", this name given to him by the prominent archaeologists of the day. Joe could make fire in of minutes with a natural yucca file board and mule fat stick. Joe was also a master of the Ishi style flintknapping methodology. Joe's Ishi points of both glass and obsidian were each an impressive work of art. Ray and Joe became friends and Ray began to study Joe's flintknapping methods. Joe Dabil had learned the arts of wilderness survival hands on. Joe was an Olympic class long distance runner in the 1960s, and when a Doctor informed him he had a life threatening decease he fled into the wilderness. There in the woods, alone, Joe eked out a survival on natural foods. Eventually Joe relearned the arts of Ishi, sinew back bow making, arrow-smithing, fire drill technology, cordage making, brain tanning and of coarse...flintknapping. As miracle have it, Joe lived out his death sentence and is still practicing wilderness skills today. Steve Carter was already an established master knapper when Ray met him in the early 1980s. Steve had been friends with J.B.Sollberger of Dallas, Texas and with J.B.s inspiration, at the 1978 Little Lake knap-in, Steve developed his own unique knapping style, one in which he detached the flakes of the top of the preform as opposed to the bottom that rests on the palm of the hand. Steve was versatile and also used the Ishi style knapping techniques. Steve's work even impressed the Grand Masters; Sollberger, Titmus, Callahan and Crabtree. Jimm Winn was there at the second or third Wrightwood knap-in with Barney Desimone and George hough and George Hough and Dick Baugh. Jim did a lot of heat treating of local materials there in the famous Wrightwood fire pit at Jackson Lake Flat. After the close of the Flintknappers' Exchange in 1981, there was a void for two years. Communication among flintknappers slowed to a stop. In 1984 at the knap-in at the Northridge Archaeological Research Center I was talking about the need for a newsletter to Clay Singer and Terry Frederick, they suggested I do it, well I had dyslexia, couldn't type and had no money, okay! Alton Safford, Jeannie Binning and Joe Dabill encouraged as well. I couldn't get anyone to help me with the project so I did it myself. I started work on the first issue, all the words were misspelled, the grammar was just as bad, I cut and past the cover. I wanted to call it the Flintknappers' Monthly but I couldn't find those words in the old NARC newsletters so I got close with "FLintknapping Digest" and cut and pasted it on the cover. I used the address list in the old Flintknappers' Exchange at the end of each article to find the knappers. It worked I began to get a flood of mail about it. It was really amateurish and I got a lot of flak, but everybody who got it loved it. Clay Singer said "it has a folksy, underground publication look" . In any case it got better with each issue. I remember asking J.B. Sollberger to write an article for me and he got really mad. He said that I was just trying to associate with his name to gain fame and make the newsletter sell better , I was unaffected and said yes, so do I get the article? We got along fine after that and I did get the article, I think he trusted me to tell the truth after that. He even made me some fluted points. The "J.B." in J.B. Sollberger is rumored to stand for "John the Baptist" . So you see with a reputation like that truth means a lot. I was amazed that the little newsletter was doing so well, my mom was too, she never thought such a weird newsletter would work. I was 24 years old when I started the newsletter and didn't have a whole lot else going, it was great, I met all my flintknapping heroes. One day I got a letter from D.C. Waldorf and he was asking about something, I can't remember, but he referred to the Flintknapping Digest as "The Digest", I put the letter in the next issue and from then on that's what everyone called it. Even now I see it referenced to time and again and it is almost always given its affectionate name "The Digest" it gave knappers a worm and fuzzy feel, like an old dog that you had when you were a kid. Even old dogs pass on, and in the late 1980s, even with Val Waldorf's help, I couldn't do it anymore. After some coaxing the waldorf's took pity on me and took the newsletter over. They gave it a face lift and a new name "Chips" . .Paul Hellweg, a fellow Army Tanker. Paul, likes to specialise inground stone axe manufacture, and he is quite good at it. He was actually a Crabtree and Flenniken Student, but went over to the servival camp when he got a job teaching it at C.S.U.N. where I first met him in the early 1980s. Paul wrote some nice articles for the Flintknapping Digest in 1984 and published a book on knapping the same year, Flintknapping, The Art of Making Stone Tools that has sold over 50,000 copies. Hellweg has also writen many other books and is doing quite well financially. I attented a week long Callahan school with him in the summer and and he appears to be thinking of redoing his book and becomming more active in the knapping world. San Diego, California was a hot bed of really good knappers in the early 1970s, it sprung from a visit from Sollberger sometime in that era. Only Steve Carter remains of that group. Navodne (Rod) Reiner, another California sad story , Rod was one of the San Diego flintknappers that Steve Carter hung around with in the 1970s. Like Steve, Rod was a really good flintknapper, all traditional, and good person. Rod did a lot of knapping and made nice pieces of lithic art but was also interested in the experimental aspect as well. Rod came up with the two man fluting technique; Reiner gripped the biface in his left hand, held it down tightly against his thigh, while his right hand used the full weight of his body from the shoulder to bear down on the flaking tool. Then, to this he added a little more force by using a second person to deliver a light tapping blow to the end of the pressure flaker with a mallet. Reiner stated that the mallet strikes just at the instant that the pressure flake is pressed off. With Rod's method both constant pressure and a releasing percussion impact a nice flute is detached. Rod, whom was also at the Little Lake knap-in was a very good knapper and a big influence on Steve Carter, but Rod was killed early on in a hunting accident. Chris Hardacker was another, he just faded into the woodwork, I saw him working as a digger for Jeannie Binning at one of her digs in the middle 1980s. Robert Blue of Studio City, California was inspired by a collection of Reinhardt's points , Reinhardt had been long dead but Blue did find fellow Gray Ghost collector, Charlie Shewey in Missouri. Robert offered to buy all of Shewey's Gray Ghosts and Richard Warren points and that money was no object. Charlie refused Blue's offer, but directed Robert to Richard Warren. After Robert bought a fair number of points, Warren shared some of his secrets with Robert Blue and introduced him to Jim Hopper, whom Warren had taught. Jim Hopper andRobert Blue became good friends and Robert became very good at art knapping. Barney DeSimone, couched Robert through his early years of knapping. Later Robert inspired Barney to return somewhat to lapidary knapping. It was Robert Blue that taught Ray Harwood to knap in the lever style of Reinhardt, Ray produced dozens of "Raynish Daggers" with the lever flaker. The Raynish Daggers were simply slab points in the form of 10 inch Danish Daggers ("2-D daggers" -not 3 dimensional). These were what Callahan called the ugliest Danish Daggers he had ever seen. After Robert's death and some prompting from DeSimone and Callahan, Harwood returned to traditional flintknapping. One interesting bit of knapping lore I overheard at a knap in goes like this:" Steve Behenes had invented this steel fluting jig that could flute supper this preforms. Steve was close to Robert Blue at the time and he sent Robert a thin Folsom and the detached flutes, Robert returned the detached flute -and he had fluted them ! . Joe Dabil, Joe had become a California legend by the late 1960s and had the nick name of "Indian Joe", this name given to him by the prominent archaeologists of the day. Joe says he learned his style by trail and error using books with Ishi points as a pattern,same for the knapping tools. His notching style comes a great deal from Errett. Joe could make fire in of minutes with a natural yucca file board and mule fat stick. Joe was also a master of the Ishi style flintknapping methodology. I first came to here about him in about 1969 and then in the 70s, he gave demos on Catalina Island for Archaeologists and movie people. His points were often seen for sale for $3.50 up and down the central to northern California coastal towns, these populated by thousands of hippies. I remember buying one in a hippie shop in Pismo Beech in 1976. The hippie lady at the counter said I could meet the knapper, but like as ass I sais "naw it's OK. I did end up meeting him 8 years later, in 1984, at CSUN. Joe's Ishi points of both glass and obsidian were each an impressive work of art. Ray and Joe became friends and Ray began to study Joe's flintknapping methods. Joe Dabil had learned the arts of wilderness survival hands on. Joe was an Olympic class long distance runner in the 1960s, and when a Doctor informed him he had a life threatening decease disease he fled into the wilderness. There in the woods, alone, Joe eked out a survival on natural foods. Eventually Joe relearned the arts of Ishi, sinew back bow making, arrow-smithing, fire drill technology, cordage making, brain tanning and of coarse...flintknapping. As miracle have it, Joe lived out his death sentence and is still practicing wilderness skills today. The information set forth in this text relied heavly on the fallowing publications: Fintknapper's Exchange: Atchiston, Inc. 4426 Constution N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87110 Etidors: Errett Callahan, Jacqueline Nichols and Penelope Katson. Flintknapping Digest. Harwood Archaeology 4911 Shadow Stone Bakersfield, CA 93313 Editor: Ray Harwood Bulletin of Primitive Technology. Journal of the Society of Primative Technology P.O. Box 905 Rexburg, ID 83440 Dave Wescot, Editor Chips Mound Builder Books P.O. Box 702 Branson, MO. 65615 Editors: Val Waldorf, D.C. Waldorf and Dane Martin. New Flintknapper's Exchange. High Fire Flints 11212 Hooper Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70818 Editors: Jeff Behrnes, Steve Behernes and Chas Spear 20Th Century Lithics. Mound Builder Books P.O. Box 702 Branson, MO. 65615 Editors: Val Waldorf and D.C. Waldorf. : WARNING: Flintknapping is very dangerous and can cause serious health problems, including death. Ray Harwood, The World Flintknapping Society or any officer or members of said society do not suggest you should attempt flintknapping, do so only at your own risk. All those that are listed in this history book wore protection.
The Larry Manke Band
This is the story of a band that combined a taste of the
Larry went on to record and tour with the popular LA punk band "The Last": The Last are not necessarily the least. In fact, the band (or fragments thereof) has been floating around since 1976, writing songs, recruiting members and living in an abandoned church with members of punk bands- Black Flag and Red Cross. What else can be done with sociopath, potentially homicidal tendencies? The first Last album was cut in 1979 and the band spent 1980 near the top of the
Dana Walker had a wonderful voice that was both country and
The Blue Ridge Pickin' Parlor was started by Ken and Margo Tennesen in 1976. The music store was then located in
Ray Harwood played both guitar and banjo for the Larry Manke Band; Richard Baily Band, Quicksand and Itchy Brothers. Ray had been in several similar bands before meeting Larry. Ray’s banjo style was not the advanced melodic bluegrass of Alan Monday or Pat Cloud, but sort of a crude version of Jerry Garcia, but it was effective for this style music. Ray had played at most of the
Steve Sutton was the lead guitar picker and had a unique flat-pick style, sort of a cross between Clarence White and Buck Owens. Steve’s vocals were a gritty
Larry is a color video person now. However, he has a hidden musical side. Growing up in
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