Looking for the perfect tree? Selecting and felling a Neolithic logboat tree
Résumé
The Koruc association's 2022 project aims to reconstitute and test a monoxyle oak dugout canoe over 8 m long under different navigation conditions (river and sea, loaded and unloaded). The model chosen was inspired by European boats discovered in estuarine contexts. The approach adopted since 2021 implies that the entire chaîne opératoire is compatible with Neolithic technologies (excluding log transport, for obvious reasons of excessively long timber supply distances) and is recorded according to various variables in order to feed our database. Particular attention was paid to the production of polished stone tools facsimiles (dolerite axes and adzes), wood and antler implements (pointed sticks, picks, pickaxes, chisels). Similarly, so as to be able to compare our working times and come close - perhaps - to Neolithic conditions, the same team, experienced and well-versed in the handling of the various tools, follows the different stages from felling the tree to finishing the dugout canoe.
This article deals with the first stage of this project, namely the felling of an oak tree 33 m high and 2.75 m in circumference. This will involve to:
1. determine what a “logboat tree” could be according to Neolithic criteria,
2. select the ideal tree in the field, produced in existing forest stands, and determine its axis of fall,
3. determine the most appropriate felling technique for the project,
4. present the main work phases, the time and number of people required to complete them, and the types of waste produced,
5. ask the question of tool effectiveness,
6. and finally, to provide feedback of this full-scale felling.
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Bacoup_et_al_Looking for the perfect tree (last version).pdf (1.5 Mo)
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