Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills

by David Wescott

Overview

Living in modern society, we have become increasingly disassociated from the earth, from the essence of ourselves, and the need is awakened in us to return to the wilderness—physically and emotionally. We long to feel a sense of connection with our ancient roots. This urge is what has prompted man's fascination with primitive skills: producing objects from natural materials using methods similar to prehistoric cultures.
Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills is a sharing of ideas—the philosophies, the history, and the personal stories by the authorities on primitive technology from teh pages of The Bulletin of Primitive Technology.
Included are instructions for creating fire and tools of wood, stone, and bone, as well as fiber adhesives, projectiles, art, and music. Practicing these primitive methods will lead the seeker towards a tangible, raw connection with the ancient past, with nature's resources and, ultimately, with the creative forces that constructed the foundation of man's survival on the planet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780879059118
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	03/26/2001
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	1,031,071
Product dimensions:	8.19(w) x 10.88(h) x 0.59(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

David Wescott is author of Camping in the Old Style and editor of Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills. Formerly education director for the Boulder Outdoor School, he has been a leading figure in wilderness education for more than thirty years. He lives with his wife in Rexburg, Idaho.

Read an Excerpt

Experimental archeology may be defined as "that branch of archeology which seeks to interpret culture, technology, or lifeways of the past by means of structured, scientific experimentation: (Callahan ms:87). Reconstructive archeology, closely akin to experimental archeology, involves "interpretation of material culture and technology by means of physical reconstruction, using either experiential (Level II) or experimental (Level III) means" (ibid.). Only the latter may be termed "experimental archeology. Level I projects, although attempts at reconstruction, may not lay claim to the term "reconstructive archeology."

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword
Section 1—Primitive Technology
Section 2—Fire—Where We Begin
Section 3—Bone, Stone & Wood—Basic Elements
Section 4—Fibers—Holding The World Together
Section 5—Projectiles—Power From The Human Hand
Section 6—Art & Music—Discipline and Meaning

Editorial Reviews

Presents skills for producing objects from natural materials using methods similar to those of prehistoric cultures. Contains instructions for the construction of shelters, tools, weapons, ropes, and baskets from such basic materials as bone, stone, wood, and plant fibers. The text is accompanied by clear drawings and many photographs. The book's material is largely taken from the pages of , of which the author is the managing editor. No index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)

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