Wood and bark form the largest category of raw materials, both for the number of different types of wood and wood-related items (e.g. bark) used and of items made. Wood is the most visual of all raw materials and the most vital for making primary food-producing tools as well as all weaponry. Most items made from wood were manufactured using chert flakes (Plates 6-11; 26-51). Bark, while not used directly in as many items, was used to make string. String was a vital component of numerous items (Table 2; Plates 76-101).
Query database for items made from: Wood | Bark
76a
76b
76c
76d
String making: Stripping bark off saplings for making string (76a), Separating bast fibre from bark for making string (76b), Twisting the kuwmiy strands of string (76c), Twisting the kuwmiy strands of strong - close-up (76d)
77
A woman called Ponpin netting a man's apron, together with her small son
78a
78b
78c
78d
Examples of the use of string: Netting the crown of a fancy net-cap (78a), The pondijp netting stitch on a fancy net-cap (78b), The shuwmat netting stitch on a fancy net-cap (78c), Netting wesaembow kaeray circuits on a fancy net-cap (78d)
79a
79b
79c
79d
Examples of the use of string: The lay of a twisted pig tether (79a), The doinj plait of a pig tether (79b), Plaiting a wood insert pig tether (79c), Stretching and rubbing a pig tether (79d)
80a
80b
80c
Examples of the use of string: Stringing a mouth bow (80a), Cutting off a piece of cane bamboo stem for a tube of a pan-pipe (80b), The binding around the tubes of a pan-pipe (80c)
81a
81b
81c
81d
Examples of the use of string: Poking folded pieces of screw-pine leaf under the binding around the grass stem core of a cylindrical pendant (81a), Winding string around the end of a cylindrical pendant (81b), The binding around the centre of a cylindrical pendant (81c), Pushing she-oak twigs into the end of a cylindrical pendant (81d)
82a
82b
82c
82d
Examples of the use of string: The securing of a twisted fern fibre loop for an elbow bangle (82a), Folding a length of cane bamboo into a stay for an elbow bangle (82b), Arranging the loops in a cascade for an elbow bangle (82c), Fitting a completed elbow bangle on wearer's arm (82d)
83a
83b
83c
Examples of the use of string: Attaching cowrie shells to a side-mounted necklace (83a)
Securing cowrie shells to a side-mounted necklace (83b), The tobok liy binding around the base of cowrie shells on a side-mounted necklace (83c)
The wooden digging stick is still today the basic agricultural tool of both men and women in the Highlands (Hampton 1999; Sillitoe 1988). Some regional variety exists in its design (Golson 1977a) but basically it comprises a paddle-shaped piece of wood sharpened at one end to produce a point and flattened to a spatula shape at the other. Both ends of the tool are used. Tools are used for all garden preparation work; from the initial clearing of a new garden site to planting, weeding and harvesting and were manufactured by the Wola until recently, using chert flake tools. Men use larger digging sticks for breaking up and turning sods, planting crops and general digging (e.g. ditches) (Nilles 1942-5) while women use them for digging up weeds and shrubs, breaking up soil, planting and harvesting. The Kapauku differentiate between the digging stick, which is about 2 metres long, and the root crop harvesting stick which is 300–400mm long. They dig ditches with a paddle-shaped tool that has a leaf-shaped blade between 800–1000mm long. Small (160–200mm long) paddle-shaped wooden tools used by women for weeding, were also made using stone flakes (Pospisil 1963).
84a
84b
84c
84d
84e
Examples of the use of string: Starting to sew shells from an old nassa shell forehead band onto a new bark-cloth foundation (84a), The front of a nassa shell forehead band showing stitching of shells (84b), The rear of the bark-cloth foundation of a nassa shell forehead band showing detail of a stitch (84c), Sewing shells onto a nassa shell forehead band (84d), The securing of the string head-ties to the bark-cloth foundation of a nassa shell forehead band (84d)
85a
85b
85c
85d
85e
Examples of the use of string: The dezbilay stitch use in coiling a pompom (85a), Coiling and stitching a pompom (85b), Securing feathers to a standing line for a feather circlet (85c), The turn taken around the quill of feathers being secured to a standing line for a feather circlet (85d), The turn taken around the standing line when fastening feathers to it for a feather circlet (85e)
Wood is also used for making bows and arrows, clubs and a range of other items (Table 2). Three types of grass-cutting implement have been reported elsewhere in the Highlands, including triangular wooden cutting implements (Golson 1977a).
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Last updated: Wed Oct 8 2003