[Terrapreta] Earthen Kiln Conjecture

[Kurt Treutlein]

Robert Klein wrote:
> I never took seriously the argument that the Indians ever felled trees.  That needs a steel axe.  Before the steel axe, the tree was killed by girdling the tree and allowing it to collapse which is a very quick process in the rain forest.  The labor aspect was obviously incredible.
>   
Rubbish!!!
The New Guinea people also did not have steel tools untill the coming of 
the whiteman. They felled tree with stone implements, usually rather 
like adzes, with ground blades made of a particularly tough rock, 
imported from many days walk away. I've seen two men fell a tree, 
somewhat thicker than thigh size in an afternoon. Mainly by a process of 
pounding the wood to fibrous matchsticks. Hard work it's true, but quite 
possible. They similarly felled and prepared kwila ( very hard timber) 
house posts, often muchly carved, using stone tools. They carved large 
(50foot) long canoes from red cedar wood, they made large wooden drums 
from hardwood, all using stone adzes and fire where appropriate. Of 
course, they embraced steel axes and bushknives (machetes) and steel 
planeblades and chisels and knives with enthusiasm when they became 
available.

People need to stop armchairing this sort of endeavour, based on little 
or no actual experience.


Kurt
who spent nearly 20 years in New Guinea.