You can have only one got me to thinking

runningboar

runningboar

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May 27, 2006
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How did primitive/stone age man that lived in cold environments chop enough wood to make it though the winter? I am totally ignorant of anything north of where I live now, but the overwelming consenensus is that your number one priority is the best chopper you can lay your hands on. So how in the world did primitive man and native Americans with small flint knives, and inefficient stone axes survive? Chris
 
I don't know for sure, but I'm thinking that there probably are alot more fallen trees than there are now.

They are probably a lot stronger as well, and can probably break off branches that we have to use our folding saw and choppers for.
 
I believe that many tribes used fire itself to kill and fell trees for firewood if the tree was too large to be cut down with primitive tools.
 
I understand those "primitive" tools are surprisingly efficient if used correctly, and our ancestors would have had a heck of a lot of practice with them.
 
One common firepit method is to build a fire, chop down a small-to-medium size tree, but instead of chopping the tree into numerous pieces you just place one end of the tree over the fire.
Then you gradually feed the rest of the tree into the fire as the end burns.
This way, you only chop down one or two trees per day.



Another method...

White man build BIG fire...stand WAY back.

Cherokee build little fire...stand very close.;)
 
Allen,
My grandfather taught me the same thing, it is alot easier to burn than it is to chop.

As for the efficiency of stone age tools, they sure did throw them down in a hurry for steel. My understanding is that primitive people would do practically anything, including selling their family into slavery and murder for steel knives, tools, and pots, doesn't say to much for what they were using. One of the theories about Oetzi is he was attacked and died from his injuries because of his copper axe. Chris
 
runningboar said:
How did primitive/stone age man that lived in cold environments chop enough wood to make it though the winter? I am totally ignorant of anything north of where I live now, but the overwelming consenensus is that your number one priority is the best chopper you can lay your hands on. So how in the world did primitive man and native Americans with small flint knives, and inefficient stone axes survive? Chris
Click to expand...

Driftwood in my neighborhood. Wood gathering is still a big chore for primitive folk. They don't use a lot of heavy stuff-- cutting it is just half the problem-- you have to haul it too. Keeps the kids busy. The people in the coldest climates use the least fire-- a little blubber/oil for a lamp. People on plains and steppes use dried dung for fires. Herders and hunter-gathers were nomads and didn't have big populations to support. To give you an idea how much population has changed, in Christ's time, the population of the entire planet was about equal to the population of the US today. Going back to 10,000BC, the estimates are 1-10 million--- there was LOTS of room! There are 6.6 billion on the planet today. My point is lots more wood, far fewer people.

The Northwest Coast tribes had abundant seafood to harvest, driftwood on the beach that replenished itself with every storm, and the biggest wood on the planet in their back yard. They used fire and wedges for most of their big stuff, sometimes splitting cedar planks right off standing trees. Adz blades were made from stone or beaver teeth. Shells and dogfish skin "sandpaper" were used for finer finishing. The woods are soft too-- cedar was king.
 
Excellent points made so far.

The recent series "Living With the Kombai Tribe", documents how labor intensive and time consuming chopping with a stone axe is compared to steel. The Kombai's use of the stone axe requires strength, endurance and a surprising amount of skill which the white visitors were quite unable to master.

Although it was not discussed at length, it seems the surrounding tribes had already converted to steel but the Kombai have been restrained, so far by elders desiring to preserve the traditional way of life.
 
allenC said:
One common firepit method is to build a fire, chop down a small-to-medium size tree, but instead of chopping the tree into numerous pieces you just place one end of the tree over the fire.
Then you gradually feed the rest of the tree into the fire as the end burns.
This way, you only chop down one or two trees per day.



Another method...

White man build BIG fire...stand WAY back.

Cherokee build little fire...stand very close.;)
Click to expand...

Allen is right. No chopping just pushing the ends into the fire as they burn down. The fire looks like a wheel with long spokes.
 
runningboar said:
Allen,
My grandfather taught me the same thing, it is alot easier to burn than it is to chop.

As for the efficiency of stone age tools, they sure did throw them down in a hurry for steel. My understanding is that primitive people would do practically anything, including selling their family into slavery and murder for steel knives, tools, and pots, doesn't say to much for what they were using. One of the theories about Oetzi is he was attacked and died from his injuries because of his copper axe. Chris
Click to expand...


The thing that got me to include single edge razor blades in my kits was watching a documentary on some remote tribe and the visitors brought single edge razor blades as gifts. The locals happily used them like stone flakes for food prep, hand crafts like basket making, skinning small game, and so on. Machetes are big for gift and trade items too. I haven't seen it, but I'm sure large metal pots would be good for gifts too. Something like a two man buck saw could make a remote tribal member a rich man in local terms.
 
Keep in mind that the "caveman" concept of a primitive human living alone in a cave, perhaps with his mate and/or kids is almost certainly a piece of fiction. Humans have lived in tribes/societies for as long as we know. Sure, a hunter might go alone while on the hunt, but then he would return to the tribe. Just like there are some people better at some tasks now, there would have been tribe members that were specialists in the past. As long as you have a few people who are really good at making flint tools, the entire tribe doesn't have to know how to do it.

Similarly, if you have to chop up a tree... it might be a pain to do by yourself, but not be too bad if you have a few buddies who owe you for that deer you shared a week before...
 
When I started back packing, a hippie friend introducted me to the Seirra Axe. You get a BIG rock and smash the wood into movable pieces. It works really well if you just want to move the wood to the fire. It doesn't carve very well or split wood very well, but it does make short pieces out of long pieces.
Ron Athay
 
I don't spend many nights a year out (well more than some) but not like primitve man ( I like icecream too much) but I never seem to have too much problem finding plenty of fallen wood to keep a fire going.
 
Considering many Native American tribes did not have the use of steel prior to the Spanish arriving it is even more incredible to think how they survived with their tools. It seems that many mountain men and Native tribes were on the move constantly camping from place to place so finding wood or other burning materials may not have been so hard to find. I live in Colorado and when I go to the mountains almost everywhere I go I see plenty of fallen trees, old trees and wood lying about. Especially considering some of the thick aspen's do not have as thick of roots as other spruces for instance and can be taken down easier if need be.
 
The women of the western American Indian tribes, gathered the firewood and carried it in large bundles on their backs, to the living areas. They carried smaller diameter branches they'd pick up, or break from the trees, ergo, "squaw wood." It was a constant, back breaking chore.

It was no accident that when the white man hit the North American shores, their iron and steel implements were very soon adapted by the various Indian tribes.

FWIW.

L.W.
 
Natives used small fires to avoid detection not purely for warmth. Anyone who believes you can get the needed heat BTU's out of a 4 inch sq fire is off their meds.

When cold and need heat, BIGGER is better so long as not too much effort is wasted. Log feeding is a good idea mentioned above.

Skam
 
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