The use of the term "Hopewell Culture" is a way to keep from telling you that we talking about a kind of confederation of the ancestors of the owners of your local casino."Hopewell Culture" might be thought of as a set of snap-shots of the doings of those ancestors from about 400 BC to 400 AD.
Hopewell people have been refereed to as 'mound builders.' Exotic grave goods such as sheet mica art, fresh water pearls, and copper craft added a mystique of their earthworks. We are finding that their influence spread from Nova Scotia to Cuba, from the Rockies to the Atlantic.
Their heartland at the time of the photo tended to be the Ohio River Valley in what is now the state of Ohio.
We are gaining some idea of how climate changes effected them.
We are better understanding that dress and grooming were important to them. They wanted to look good and did.
We may find that the history of the Iroquois and other tribes may inform of us of the people we have called Hopewell.
What can you tell us about the unusual bony ear growth genetically transmitted among Hopewell nobility.
We may be helped in adopting to our own climate change by looking at the medicinal and nutritional qualities cultivated and harvested by Hopewell peoples. We might start by looking more closely at plants such as: sump-weed, goose-foot, sunflower, knot-weed, little barley, may-grass, and their brand of tobacco.Hopewell people and those related to them have lived long and strong by harvesting wild deer and hickory nuts. Maybe we can live longer and stronger by learning to do similar ha vesting of our own.
The ancestors of the Adena and Hopewell peoples lived in a cooler climate and used their atlatals to cast spear/darts at the giant armadillo, camel, horse, dire-wolf, ground-sloth, long-horned bison, saber-toothed tiger, and short faced bear around what is now Cincinnati, Ohio, Jackson, Mississippi, and Jefferson City, Missouri.
From well before 4000 BC to about 400 BC, Hopewell people may have been the least war-like people on earth. It seems that they put their energies into spiritual activities, long distance trade, looking good, art, and developing ways of getting along.
There is a very great deal of practical knowledge yet to be learned from thees people. For example, why did they build a straight 'road' in what is now Ohio, fom Newwork to Chillicothe. How did they benefit from it?
Showing posts with label atlatl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atlatl. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, August 15, 2011
Who Is Using the Atlatl Now?
There are American Indians who remember the atlatl as part of their heritage. I have heard the very word used in songs and chants. You might hear it at a modern pow wow. That they remember it may not be surprising when we know that many of their ancestors were using it before 7000 BC. They were probably using it before 20,000 BC. There seems to be a bit of evidence that they may have been using it as early as 30,000 BC. They found it useful for hunting food animals larger than grizzlies and moose. They used it to hunt some animals larger than a modern elephant.
The atlatl was more important in the hearts and minds of Native Americans than the sword was to European's and Asian's; and the atlatl may have been used longer. The great difference being that the atlatl was seldom used to kill a man. It was made for bigger game.
You can probably find pictures of atlatls on the www. An atlatl is an implement use to launch a spear-like dart a greater distance, with greater power, and probably with greater accuracy than a man could throw a javelin. It usually of wood, worked to a length a bit less than the length of a man's arm. It had a hand grip at one end and at the other a notch to hold the butt end of a large dart or spear. It multiplied the power of a man's arm.
Some atlatls were still in use among Native Americans when De Soto arrived in North American. But by the time that Spanish Explorer and Conquistador arrived the bow and arrow was more appropriate for the deer and other small game available. Then, Americans and others were still carrying swords in 1900, when they had much more efficient weapons available.
I have never held an atlatl, but I have heard that, in Alabama, hunters are licensed to use them. I suspect that they may be used in California and Arizona. What can you tell use.
Midew elders of the Grand Medicine Society of the Canadian Great Lakes region may sing of the atlatl using another name. What is that name.
The atlatl was more important in the hearts and minds of Native Americans than the sword was to European's and Asian's; and the atlatl may have been used longer. The great difference being that the atlatl was seldom used to kill a man. It was made for bigger game.
You can probably find pictures of atlatls on the www. An atlatl is an implement use to launch a spear-like dart a greater distance, with greater power, and probably with greater accuracy than a man could throw a javelin. It usually of wood, worked to a length a bit less than the length of a man's arm. It had a hand grip at one end and at the other a notch to hold the butt end of a large dart or spear. It multiplied the power of a man's arm.
Some atlatls were still in use among Native Americans when De Soto arrived in North American. But by the time that Spanish Explorer and Conquistador arrived the bow and arrow was more appropriate for the deer and other small game available. Then, Americans and others were still carrying swords in 1900, when they had much more efficient weapons available.
I have never held an atlatl, but I have heard that, in Alabama, hunters are licensed to use them. I suspect that they may be used in California and Arizona. What can you tell use.
Midew elders of the Grand Medicine Society of the Canadian Great Lakes region may sing of the atlatl using another name. What is that name.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Native American Exchange System Continued
The American Indian participants in the great exchange system which extended well beyond the Mississippi Valley, were not only long-distance traders of deep religious convictions, but also experienced managers and husbandmen of wide resource areas. They were also productive agriculturalists.
Their ancestors had hunted very large game. A favored implement of theirs was the atlatl; the spear thrower. They and their ancestors honored and profited from the atlatl for perhaps eight thousand years. That implement was more practical than the bow and arrow in taking the mega-fauna hunted by their ancestors In recent decades I have heard the very word 'atlatl' to chants and songs to the great drums and smaller ones too.
Our ancestors called these Native Americans 'The Mound Builders.'
Too many of those ancestors of ours thought that the great earthworks and the contents found('mined')by them could not have been produced or constructed by anyone related to the Indians they knew of.
The evidence is strong, at least for the Adena and Hopewell periods, that their 'religion' was strong and important. Just the form and contents of their earth-works are highly suggestive of that evidence. The the strikingly attractive grave goods of those mounds is what our ancestors mined. Oral histories of tribal peoples of today point to those religious beliefs of old. Physical remains have also informed us of those beliefs. A very great number of those objects were not tools, cooking, or hunting objects. They were objects of great art, craft, and beauty to accompany their honored dead.
It may prove useful to remember that not everyone does or has categorized the objects and doings of reality as we do.
For example, the famous mounds, to which we have tended to attribute a religious purpose may well have been more important as focal points of trade and commerce. What we have called cemeteries may have been centers of social gatherings, schools, or scientific centers. There is much we do not know.
Their ancestors had hunted very large game. A favored implement of theirs was the atlatl; the spear thrower. They and their ancestors honored and profited from the atlatl for perhaps eight thousand years. That implement was more practical than the bow and arrow in taking the mega-fauna hunted by their ancestors In recent decades I have heard the very word 'atlatl' to chants and songs to the great drums and smaller ones too.
Our ancestors called these Native Americans 'The Mound Builders.'
Too many of those ancestors of ours thought that the great earthworks and the contents found('mined')by them could not have been produced or constructed by anyone related to the Indians they knew of.
The evidence is strong, at least for the Adena and Hopewell periods, that their 'religion' was strong and important. Just the form and contents of their earth-works are highly suggestive of that evidence. The the strikingly attractive grave goods of those mounds is what our ancestors mined. Oral histories of tribal peoples of today point to those religious beliefs of old. Physical remains have also informed us of those beliefs. A very great number of those objects were not tools, cooking, or hunting objects. They were objects of great art, craft, and beauty to accompany their honored dead.
It may prove useful to remember that not everyone does or has categorized the objects and doings of reality as we do.
For example, the famous mounds, to which we have tended to attribute a religious purpose may well have been more important as focal points of trade and commerce. What we have called cemeteries may have been centers of social gatherings, schools, or scientific centers. There is much we do not know.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
"Hopewell" People Continued
The American Indian participants in the great exchange system which extended the length of the Mississippi and well beyond were not only long distance traders and of deep religious convictions, but were also experienced managers and husbandmen of wide resources.
They were hunters of wild game. Their most respected weapon was of a type used by their ancient ancestors. Those ancestors had hunted game that was, indeed, large. They had hunted the mega-fauna of song and legend and paleontology. The weapons they used was the spear thrower, the atlatl, and its spear like dart. I have heard the very word, atlatl, used in chants to the great drum and to smaller ones too. Our long distance traders of the waterways also obtain game using sophisticate trapping techniques, bow and arrow, spear and more
Yes, I am writing of "Mound Builders."
Their religion was strong and important and their mounds are evidence of 'religious' centers. Oral histories can tell us much of their religion. Old physical remains have also informed us. Their most beautifully crafted objects seemed to have had little or no economic or practical use. Was it 'art for art's sake?' Why were very many of the best of these objects carefully buried in the mounds with their dead.
These people were not us. Like us in important ways? Yes. But we benefit from realizing that they saw the world from a viewpoint very much their own. We benefit by knowing that not everyone categorizes the objects and doings of reality as we do.
For example, the famous 'mounds' to which w have tended to give religious cognizance, or to consider cemeteries, may well have been focal points of trade, commerce, and social gatherings. They may have been teaching and scientific centers. There is much we do not know.
They were hunters of wild game. Their most respected weapon was of a type used by their ancient ancestors. Those ancestors had hunted game that was, indeed, large. They had hunted the mega-fauna of song and legend and paleontology. The weapons they used was the spear thrower, the atlatl, and its spear like dart. I have heard the very word, atlatl, used in chants to the great drum and to smaller ones too. Our long distance traders of the waterways also obtain game using sophisticate trapping techniques, bow and arrow, spear and more
Yes, I am writing of "Mound Builders."
Their religion was strong and important and their mounds are evidence of 'religious' centers. Oral histories can tell us much of their religion. Old physical remains have also informed us. Their most beautifully crafted objects seemed to have had little or no economic or practical use. Was it 'art for art's sake?' Why were very many of the best of these objects carefully buried in the mounds with their dead.
These people were not us. Like us in important ways? Yes. But we benefit from realizing that they saw the world from a viewpoint very much their own. We benefit by knowing that not everyone categorizes the objects and doings of reality as we do.
For example, the famous 'mounds' to which w have tended to give religious cognizance, or to consider cemeteries, may well have been focal points of trade, commerce, and social gatherings. They may have been teaching and scientific centers. There is much we do not know.
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