Stone and Bone

For the majority of our human existence we have found the tools and materials that are needed for our survival from the landscape around us. As our planet has aged we have become disengaged from this process, preferring instead , tools ready-made for us by another. It is the intention of this class to remove these props which are the result of modern living. Students will work on projects using not steel but tools made only from wood, stone, bone and antler. Many tools will be fashioned and this process of manufacture will be coupled with lectures of how to use the items practically. We will cover the use of the most basic of primitive tools; a flake of flint, hammer stone, the beautiful highly polished stone axe and adze. This class will provide a great and deep understanding of how our ancestors perceived their environment, were able to live within it and just how we can easily shift back to these reliable technologies in our own modern lives.

Some of the skills covered

  • Butchery
  • Tool manufacture
  • Hide tanning
  • Woodworking

“This course is not just about lighting fires or making shelters like other bushcraft experiences”