Hafting
Encyclopedia
Hafting is a process by which an artifact
, often bone
, metal, or stone
, is attached to a handle or strap. This makes the artifact more useful by allowing it to be fired (as in the case of an arrowhead), thrown (as a spear
), or leveraged more effectively (as an axe
or adze
).
Hafting is perhaps best known for its use by prehistoric man
, but it is still practiced by enthusiasts today.
There must be some way to attach the artifact to the strap or shaft, and to this end, flange
s are often created on one end (the end opposite the cutting edge). Flanges are produced by a process of knapping or grinding
the excess stone away, resulting in indentations in the piece.
If a shaft or handle is to be used, it must also be prepared in some way. The wood
or other material is often soaked in water to soften it, and a slit may be cut vertically into the center of the shaft. This provides a place for the "head" of the tool or weapon to fit.
The artifact can then be inserted into the slit, and fixed to the shaft by tying around the flanges with a suitable material. Alternatively, the head may simply be forced into the shaft, if the shaft is soft enough, eliminating the need for a slit (and perhaps improving durability). If a strap is used, it is tied directly to the flanges of the artifact.
The Cro-Magnon
hafted antler points onto spears between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.
The Clovis culture is noted for its use of hafted spears in the Americas
around 11,000 years ago. Stone Clovis point
s were formed in a way that may have allowed them to break off on impact with a target.
Hafted tools thought to have been created by Homo floresiensis
up to 90,000 years ago have been discovered on the Indonesia
n island of Flores
.
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
, often bone
Bone tool
Bone tools have been documented from the advent of Homo sapiens and are also known from Homo neanderthalensis contexts or even earlier. Bone is a ubiquitous material in hunter-gatherer societies even when other tool materials were not scarce or unavailable...
, metal, or stone
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric, particularly Stone Age cultures that have become extinct...
, is attached to a handle or strap. This makes the artifact more useful by allowing it to be fired (as in the case of an arrowhead), thrown (as a spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
), or leveraged more effectively (as an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
or adze
Adze
An adze is a tool used for smoothing or carving rough-cut wood in hand woodworking. Generally, the user stands astride a board or log and swings the adze downwards towards his feet, chipping off pieces of wood, moving backwards as they go and leaving a relatively smooth surface behind...
).
Hafting is perhaps best known for its use by prehistoric man
Prehistoric man
Prehistoric man may refer to:*Human evolution*the Homo *archaic Homo sapiens*any perceivedly primitive culture-See also:*Caveman*Primitive man*Prehistory*Paleolithic*Cradle of Humankind...
, but it is still practiced by enthusiasts today.
The hafting process
Flange
A flange is an external or internal ridge, or rim , for strength, as the flange of an iron beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam; or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc., or on the lens mount of a camera; or for a flange of a rail car or tram wheel...
s are often created on one end (the end opposite the cutting edge). Flanges are produced by a process of knapping or grinding
Ground stone
In archaeology, ground stone is a category of stone tool formed by the grinding of a coarse-grained tool stone, either purposely or incidentally. Ground stone tools are usually made of basalt, rhyolite, granite, or other macrocrystalline igneous stones whose coarse structure makes them ideal for...
the excess stone away, resulting in indentations in the piece.
If a shaft or handle is to be used, it must also be prepared in some way. The wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
or other material is often soaked in water to soften it, and a slit may be cut vertically into the center of the shaft. This provides a place for the "head" of the tool or weapon to fit.
The artifact can then be inserted into the slit, and fixed to the shaft by tying around the flanges with a suitable material. Alternatively, the head may simply be forced into the shaft, if the shaft is soft enough, eliminating the need for a slit (and perhaps improving durability). If a strap is used, it is tied directly to the flanges of the artifact.
Hafting in prehistory
Before their extinction about 24,000 years ago, the Neanderthals developed the extensive use of hafted stone tools. Archaeological investigation provides little evidence of the use of antler or bone.The Cro-Magnon
Cro-Magnon
The Cro-Magnon were the first early modern humans of the European Upper Paleolithic. The earliest known remains of Cro-Magnon-like humans are radiometrically dated to 35,000 years before present....
hafted antler points onto spears between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.
The Clovis culture is noted for its use of hafted spears in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
around 11,000 years ago. Stone Clovis point
Clovis point
Clovis points are the characteristically-fluted projectile points associated with the North American Clovis culture. They date to the Paleoindian period around 13,500 years ago. Clovis fluted points are named after the city of Clovis, New Mexico, where examples were first found in 1929.At the right...
s were formed in a way that may have allowed them to break off on impact with a target.
Hafted tools thought to have been created by Homo floresiensis
Homo floresiensis
Homo floresiensis is a possible species, now extinct, in the genus Homo. The remains were discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Partial skeletons of nine individuals have been recovered, including one complete cranium...
up to 90,000 years ago have been discovered on the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island of Flores
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
.