Experiments underway!

Learning the properties of different kinds of wood, and how tools affect and are affected by them, is an important part of this project. We have started experimenting by working seasoned and green oak wood using antler and beech wood wedges. Already, we've learned a few valuable things by looking at tool marks, efficiency, and debris.

Close up of the damage done to the wedge.

The first valuable insight gained is that beech wood wedges are not effective when splitting oak tangentially. The beech wedge curled under after only a few whacks of the mallet, and it didn't even leave a mark on the oak.

Beech wood wedge after attempting to split green oak tangentially.

Not much of a mark made trying
to tangentially split this green oak
using a beech wedge.

 The antler chisel, however, worked very well. Using the chisel to first make stop marks (so the wood doesn't split or tear beyond where you want it to), we used the antler chisel to hollow out this log. In a little over an hour, an inexperienced adult female cut out quite a bit of wood using this method. Her arm was pretty tired, and she has quite a blister on her hand, but progress was made!

Debris produced by an adult female working for a little over an hour
 hollowing green oak using the antler chisel and a mallet.

Distinct scallop marks made
by tangentially splitting
green oak with an antler chisel.

Of great interest is the characteristic scallop marks produced on the wood using this method. Judging by the tool marks, several pieces at Bouldnor Cliff could have been converted using this same technique. And when we compared using the method on seasoned oak and converting it radially, the debris produced is wider and flatter, and the cut edge is wavy but not scalloped.

Debris and hollowed area produced by an adult female working for around
45 minutes on seasoned oak with an antler chisel and mallet. The cut edge
here is wavy but not scalloped as in the green oak (above).

The seasoned oak was much more difficult to make stop cuts in, but the radial conversion produced a smoother surface. Due either to the conversion type or the seasoned condition, the back end of the hollowed area produced a flatter edge, whereas the tangentially converted green oak (above) has a "fuzzier" end.

The longer chisel used here was able to remove longer pieces of wood, but it sustained a small break early on in the work (see photo, left). This didn't effect its efficacy in the long run, but it does demonstrate the type of breakage that could appear in the archaeological record.

Experiments will be continuing in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back as our results are updated!