Back to the Paleolithic!

Been a while. 

Back to the Paleolithic! :)

I have three atlatls, one of them with a stone weight, the others without. I have a nice braided sling with a leather pouch. So what else? I have bow blanks. Hickory blanks. I have acquired the specifications necessary to make these into truly ancient bow replicas...say replicas of 10,000 year old bows. Yes, I am going to have at it with one of them to see what it takes. Aiming at 45 pounds of draw at 28".

Also, beginning to knap obsidian..and searching for local chert, jasper, flint, and similar stones. I have every intention of making scrapers, axes, spear and arrow points, and related tools an implements. Also going to use antler to make some things as well. 

It is all part of owning our past...really owning it, rather than just reading about it and stepping on top of that. Hand fire drills, bow fire drills, fire plows, fire plungers, and even flint & steel. Mostly I like the hand drill, oddly enough.

I have three atlatl darts although they have field tips. Once I get good enough with flint knapping I intend to make some with flint tips. Ditto arrows. I have clay I can harden to make sling stones, hemp I can braid into cords to make more slings.

Along with all of these come the Ötzi arrow quiver and bow sheath, a kind of quiver for atlatl darts, and of course, leather clothing of various sort such as leggings, footwear, and what have you. Really the clothing portion is not very different from a lot of Native American outfits.

Combined with this is a more paleo-like lifestyle in general with much outdoor time, much general activity involving a lot of various things, Dance, gardening, hiking, hunting, and so on. Going along with that is a more paleo-like eating pattern. Note, this is not the faddish paleo diet...not even. Yet there is something to be said for eating non-processed foods as much as is practicable.

Feeling better already. Real skills testing in this sort of pursuit. It really is about you and what you can do. 

Eledhwen