Flintknapping A Bout Coupe Handaxe from the Middle Palaeolithic

Рет қаралды 8,889

2 жыл бұрын

From the giant nodule of flint from near Brandon came a group of flakes that are perfect for making some replicas. It was a good opportunity to fulfil one of my Xmas orders and make a Bout Coupe handaxe. These are one of our most popular products on the Replicas Shop, but how are they made, and what were they used for?
Despite the name, are they a techno-complex marker of the recolonisation of Britain by Neanderthals at the end of the Middle Palaeolithic? What happened to Levallois technology?
Filmed Edited & Produced by Emma Jones of ELWJ Media - www.elwjmedia.co.uk
---------
Support us on Patreon: / ancientcraftuk
To find out more about my flintknapping and experimental archaeology visit my website or follow me on social media!
Website: www.ancientcraft.co.uk/
Twitter: / ancientcraftuk
Facebook: / ancientcraftuk
Instagram: / ancientcraftuk

Пікірлер: 45

@PeeWee33772 2 жыл бұрын

Could you possibly give us a demonstration of how a 'Hand Axe' would be used in the butchery of an animal/Carcass please. I am intrigued to actually see the process in action. I have always been at a loss to envisage these tools in use, I can see the use of micro thin edges for skinning and cutting meat, but have trouble envisaging a Hand Axe in butchery.

@ancientcraftUK 2 жыл бұрын

Not yet, although we're hearing the requests so watch this space!

@cliffowens3629 2 жыл бұрын

Most instructive. I remember reading where mammoth or mastodon leg bones being shaped into massive chopper type if hand axe.

@star0shimmer13 2 жыл бұрын

The Bob Ross of Paleolithic stone tools

@johnmellon1820 2 жыл бұрын

Just got my Paleo blades from Ancient Crafts UK. Very happy with my order! Going to get more stuff. Probably a hand axe

@ancientcraftUK 2 жыл бұрын

The classic! A good choice it’ll be 😉

@eilerz 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic video as always, brilliant educational commentary throughout on flint knapping tips and info on the bout coupe and other flint tools/hand axes. Made my evening :D looking forward to hopefully having some of your flint workshops in Kent in the future as I’m currently only able to make debitage 😂

@nitalaw4522 2 жыл бұрын

I shall be watching with added interest

@cliffowens3629 2 жыл бұрын

DC has also done theoretical work on how several types of Danish daggers were made and axes. I believe his success ratio in near 80% in reproducing the daggers. Since his work on the subject many other chippers are also learning the technique with some impressive results.

@felelevenedj Жыл бұрын

Very cool videos, thanks for your work there!

@RZ350NC 2 жыл бұрын

Very interesting video. It looks certainly looks different. Can't wait for your practical demonstration video. Merry Christmas!

@johnnymitnick 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic videos, just subbed, hope to see some more from you! Thank you!

@flipflopski2951 Жыл бұрын

Hide scrapers... perfect size and explains why they were made better.

@LuxisAlukard 2 жыл бұрын

Nice!

@Sheepdog1314 2 жыл бұрын

can't wait !!

@johnhaug1747 2 жыл бұрын

Also I purchased a Solutrean replica spearpoint from you today. And am anxious to see your fine example in 6-10 days. Thank you, in advance.

@ChrisPBacon-jl7oc 2 жыл бұрын

See how youve made so many different knapped techs it would be a interesting video to see you go through them all and talk about them like a trip through history. Your quite adept at the talking as it were. Your knowledge on these subjects rivals alot of the professors ive seen rattle on about prehistory.

@ancientcraftUK 2 жыл бұрын

That would be quite a video! 900,000 years compressed into a single film. But I’m sure it could happen. Thanks for your kind words too

@ChrisPBacon-jl7oc 2 жыл бұрын

@@ancientcraftUK perphaps so lol

@tehScribbles Жыл бұрын

I'd suppose as far as wood working it might've been possible to shave the bark off stick or sapling and/or maybe sharpen one end to a point with a hand axe making a simple wooden spear.

@ThomasSmith-os4zc 2 жыл бұрын

These things are not tools themselves. They are prepared cores. Flake supplies. The flakes are the tools.

@mckenzienarca2396 2 жыл бұрын

Can't wait

@jl6569 2 жыл бұрын

What was the purpose of these hand axes? They are a bit more pointed than a traditional axe and no handle so I assume it would be kind of hard to cut down trees with them. Maybe a demonstration would be good.

@ancientcraftUK 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely butchery tools, though some researchers suggest wood working tools too (though I am sceptical). We will definitely be doing a handaxe butchery demo soon when everything can be ethically sourced

@357maximum4 2 жыл бұрын

@@ancientcraftUK I still think they were mostly easy to carry/transport flake cores. They just happened to come in handy for chopping on other things before eventually becoming flakes. Personally butchered a 200 lb deer with flint tools I made. Handaxe/biface core was not used for much. Sharp flakes did most of the work. Used like a saw, the handaxe did do a very nice job of scoring the larger leg bones prior to breaking them though.

@tripleoughtstoll8690 Жыл бұрын

Think you could show how to make gun flints

@maknifeandrods7701 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t know anything but the first thing that comes to mine is burning out the center of a log and using that as a scrapper to clean it out then more burning and scrapper till you have a log canoe. It would work for me.

@adamprice155 2 жыл бұрын

Many examples of carpenters axes have a flat edge, and the shape leads to a more cutting edge heavy weight distribution which could help with finer work where less force is used and allows the tool to do the work. Just speculation, I by no means am and expert, just a hobbiest who restores old metal axe heads back to working condition.

@ancientcraftUK 2 жыл бұрын

Agree with you there, but flaked stone has an edge like a scallop shell, so tends to tear rather than cut wood

@davidlatimer3567 2 жыл бұрын

How are you able to strike the same spot multiple times and not crush the edge?

@doctordong8088 2 жыл бұрын

Striking higher up on the platform maybe?

@flugschulerfluglehrer7139 2 жыл бұрын

Do you have a suggestion what Neanderthals used instead of the glove?

@robertmeadows7508 2 жыл бұрын

A piece of hide possibly ,though I imagine their hands were as tough as animal hide perhaps ?

@zalmonschultz3592 2 жыл бұрын

probably nothing, at least with the hands, alot of modern flintknappers work barehanded, when done properly cutting is uncommon and minor

@flugschulerfluglehrer7139 2 жыл бұрын

@@zalmonschultz3592 Ok. I see.

@johnhaug1747 2 жыл бұрын

Why is this middle paleolithic (Mousterian) hand axe named Bout Coupe (French for cutting tip) when it is only found in Britain? Whereas the Lower Paleolithic Acheulean (pear shaped) also from the French acheuléen , but found in France (Homo Erectus)

@DD-kc5pw Жыл бұрын

Maybe hand axes came back in fashion because they invented better hand protection.

@SenorTucano 2 жыл бұрын

If you’re not bleeding, you ain’t knapping.

@cliffowens3629 2 жыл бұрын

Are you self taught or have a mentor? There are several chippers here in the US I'd like to sit with like DC Waldorf and Jim Redfern. I've met the latter when I first got interested.