Stones and Bones

I think today is going to be an inside day. I'll spend most of the day wiring and carding necklaces in the basement with breaks upstairs in the office at the computer. I'm feeling a little beat up after a few long days in the workshop.

I've had a good run in the workshop this week - I finished another 58 glass, obsidian, and chert points yesterday. (archaeologists call arrowheads and spearpoints "projectile points" so we don't have to decide what kind of tool they were actually used on in order to talk about them.) I also had a good run on the road after work. After running on a treadmill in the basement all winter it was nice to finally get back outside again. Although I really noticed the difference between running on the ground and running on a shock-absorbing treadmill. It felt like the ground was reaching up and punching my feet everytime I took a step.

I get a pain in my left shoulder if I do a lot of small work on tough stones. I can partly avoid it by bracing my hands better while I'm pressure flaking, but it still hit me yesterday and I should probably take a break from knapping for the weekend. Once it comes on Advil/Ibuprofen helps. Alexis Templeton recommended that to me - parts of her job can cause repetitive stress injuries as well. If I recall correctly she said that she gets it in her thumbs when she's putting a lot of handles on mugs.

I'm sure craftspeople must leave behind some pretty unique skeletons.

Photo Credits:
Top & Middle: Tim Rast
Bottom: Erick Walsh

Photo Caption:
Top: Translucent Obisidian Point
Middle: Glass, Obsidian, and Chert points in the workshop
Bottom: Burial 34 by Lori White (2005). Lino-cut print inspired by the Maritime Archaic Indian cemetery at Port Au Choix, NL, dating to 4400-3300 BP.