All posts by Bob

Bob Berg’s Flint Knapping Experiment

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Conservation of Flint
This is the result of a study to see how many usable points and tools that I could make from one flint cobble like the one in the upper right. The debitage pile amounted to a small handful of possibly usable micro chips which are not pictured here. The points at 1 and 2 o’clock were made with a single strike of the baton. The next four points clockwise are either uni-facially or bi-facially knapped. They were made from the flattest of the prismatic blades struck from the core at the center. The core has some usable material left. It is a handy size and shape to carry on a hunting expedition in a pocket.

These points did not take much time to make and while they are more fragile than points made by bi-face reduction, they are somewhat disposable because of the lack of time invested in making them. This project took me about 2 hours to complete. Most of the time was spent retouching the four uni-facially or bi-facially knapped points. The two points in the lower right show the difference between a uni-facially knapped and bi-facially knapped points.

Points and tools of this kind were often produced in Europe 18,000 to 10,000 years ago by cultures of the upper paleolithic in western Europe. Many of the tools were used to carve very intricate tools and weapons of ivory and reindeer antler. High levels of art were evident during this period which lasted until about the end of the last ice age.

Atlatls – Make Great Gifts!

Looking for that unique gift, how about an atlatl set? The Thunderbird Atlatl Shop is ready to take you holiday orders! Give us a call at 1-800-836-4520 if you need help with your order.

Wyalusing & Catatonk Atlatls

An atlatl is a great gift for that special person or even that not so special person! Some of the people in our shop claim that an atlatl is much more fun than bowling and golfing and certainly a better buy!

We’re sure we have an atlatl set that will work well for you. Remember our products have a solid guarantee and come with exceptional customer service.

Try the atlatl Bob Berg and the Thunderbird Atlatl staff is ready to help out!

Off to Maine

The Thunderbird Atlatl staff will be in Maine this weekend for the University of Maine’s third annual knap-in. The event will take place April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Maine campus at Gorham, Maine. The program takes place in and around Bailey Hall. Check out the website at

Admission is free to the public. Donations are welcome to help out with the event. For more information contact help@usmknapin.com or call the Geography-Anthropology Department at (207) 780-5321.

Here is a schedule of events:

SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2008

All Day Flintknapping

FREE Richard Doyle and John Cross will be giving flintknapping demonstrations (and advice) in 321 Bailey Hall. Anyone interested will have a chance to make their own stone tool and to purchase raw material or finished pieces! While everyone is welcome to participate, children MUST be supervised by an adult.

All Day Atlatl Demonstrations and Beginners’ Range

FREE Don’t worry if you’ve never done it – we’ll show you! Demonstrations will be given behind Bailey Hall and the range will be set up on the soccer field. Stop by the main table for maps and more information about atlatls.

All Day Pottery Making

FREE Head down to the Ceramics Studio and make your own prehistoric pottery. Charlie Paquin from the University of Vermont will be working with U.S.M. Art students to show participants the basics of pottery making. Pieces will be pit-fired on site and can be taken home.
Great for kids!
Hourly

Beginning 11:00am GIS (Geographic Information Systems) “Scavenger Hunt” and Presentations

FREE We have a list of locations on campus logged into our GPS units (global positioning system). Borrow one for an hour and take a tour of U.S.M.! While you’re in room 302 in Bailey Hall, check out some of the places in the world where U.S.M. students are doing research.

All Day Kid’s Room

FREE Not all activities are appropriate for small children. We are creating a kids’ room with coloring, yarn basket weaving and some other fun activities for those too young to participate in other events. Feel free to visit Room 319 in Bailey Hall with the kids!

Beginning 11:30am Picnic Style Buffet Lunch

$5.00 Cold cuts, salads, chips and dessert will be offered. Lunch is free for volunteers!
Contact us for details.

All Day Make Your Own Atlatl Workshop

$25.00 Bob Berg (Thunderbird Atlatl) and his wife, Cheryll, will be outside Bailey Hall giving instruction on how to make an atlatl. Make your own to take with you or purchase one ready made.

12:00pm to 2:00pm Friction Fire Workshop

FREE Representatives from the Maine Primitive Skills School be showing us how to make fire using a friction bow. This will be taking place outside, behind Bailey Hall.

2:00pm to 3:00pm
Presentation: Edible Plants

This presentation by the Maine Primitive Skills School will address ways to identify edible plants (and look-alikes), uses and foraging techniques.

3:00pm to 4:00pm Fiber Workshop

FREE The Maine Primitive Skills School will also explore the fibers available locally, what they are best utilized for, and spend some time making cordage.

All Day Presentation:
Zooarchaeology Dr. Dinah Crader and her Zooarchaeology II class will be presenting their research on horse remains from Aissa Dugjé, an archaeological site in Cameroon.

All Day Artifact Displays Dr. Nathan Hamilton will be displaying artifacts from archaeological excavations, including sites from Casco Bay and southern Maine.
All Day Student Research View posters created by our majors to display current research. Look for us in the hallways on the third floor of Bailey Hall.

Upcoming Programs! World Atlatl Association Annual Meeting

Check out the pictures and stories from this year’s World Atlatl Association meeting at the Valley of Fire in Nevada. The event was held the weekend of April 4 to 8.
Pictures and information can be found on the Paleoplanet site at href=”http://http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/16631?page=1″>
Looks like everyone had a great time!
Check out upcoming events on the World Atlatl Association event page at href=”http://www.atlatl.bravehost.com/”>

Web Page Updated

The Thunderbird Atlatl website is in the process of being updated! There will be new changes and updates in the next few days.
We have not made many changes on the catalog yet but that will be the next project. The new website was uploaded a few days ago. One problem that needs to be worked out in the next few days is the catalog pictures! The pictures are not appearing next to the catalog descriptions and we are working on that problem. We can email pictures from our paper catalog if you are interested in a particular atlatl or any atlatls, just email us at contact@thunderbirdatlatl.com and we will send the pictures. Spring is finally here!