Period: Flint knapping in general
Project title: A study of hand use in prehistoric activities
Researcher: Natalie Uomini, Ph.D.student, University of Southampton, UK
E-mail: natalie(at)soton.ac.uk
Year: 2006
Abstract:
For archaeologist to become better to analyse flint tools and flint debris, it is necessary to understand what influence the individual flint knapper and the working posture have on the appearance of the debris and the tool to be able to distinguish the features common for a period or area from the features unique to the individual flint knapper e.g. whether the knapper is left-handed or right-handed.
The aim of the experiment is to study basic features of hand use when working. For the experiment, a prehistoric “playground” was created with a range of examples of tasks that children in the past could have been doing: Cracking nuts with a stone, making a “flint puzzle” – where flakes should be put back on the flint stone from where they had been removed, scraping the bark of sticks with flint tools, engraving patterns into chalk stones and polishing flint axes.
The visitors of the centre – both children and adults – were involved in the activities. Beforehand they had to write their name and age in a book to register whether they were left-handed or right-handed. All activities were filmed and documented.
Even though there is still a part of the analysis left to do, the result is clear – despite of what had been expected – the hand that you write with is also the hand used for any task no matter how simple it is. It had been expected that the more simple tasks would have been carried out independent of handedness. At the same time the experiment showed, that tasks that were thought to be the most simple was not simple to everybody e.g. cracking nuts was difficult for the youngest children.
The logic conclusion of the experiment is that prehistoric man probably also used their hands the same way as modern people and that left and right-handedness is thought to be an old feature of humans. The experiment is part of the researcher’s Ph.D.
Reference number: HAF 08/ 06
Project title: Two Hands, One Flint: Knapping Positions and Right/Left Differences
Researcher: Natalie Uomini, Ph.D.student, University of Southampton, UK
E-mail: natalie(at)soton.ac.uk
Year: 2005
Abstract:
Flint knapping was once a craft that was handed down from parents to children or from flint knapper to apprentice. Today, archaeologists can only study the tools and the debris after the knapping to understand which techniques were used during which periods. To become better to analyse the tools, it is important to understand what influence the individual flint knapper and the working posture have on the appearance of the debris and the tool to be able to distinguish the features common for a period or area from the features unique to the individual flint knapper.
The aim of the experiment was to investigate some characteristics for flint knapped by left-handed and right-handed flint knappers respective, as well as investigate the variations of hand postures used by modern flint knappers.
15 flint knappers of different nationality (2 left-handed and 13 right-handed) was filmed while knapping five identical flint tools. The flint knappers were interviewed as well to investigate their knapping techniques and posture.
The experiment showed that to make the same tool different flint knappers used very different holding postures, blowing angles and techniques. The interviews showed that conscious and unconscious imitation were crucial factors for the knapping. Individual experience was also important.
The experiment is part of the researcher’s Ph.D.
Reference number: HAF 05/05
