Karola Bryant reading stones in the northerneastern US, an archeological study

            Hopefully there is enough confidence to identify our dig from the group above. This photo was taken in the early spring morning along the coast of Maine. Please take the time to look at all the other stones. Like art and the artists that produce it, they are unique to a place and time. The artist would be influenced by traditions and methods popular to their culture of their time. Each generation taking from the past and adding the present for the future. Fads and techniques had their hay day. One might think that erosion and patina is a sign of aging but it can be done intentionally over a short period. The signs of erosion can indicate age but it also can be explained by a good tumble with sand and water. The tumble with sand can be caused naturally but it can be done intentionally. The artist had options if he wanted a particular finish for the final product. Even the quality of patina can be intentionally created. The ancient human was ...

Think of the most placid place It is where will find yourself in a canoe Your long paddle slips into the still water ahead      Above I have chosen to take a step away from writing and instead allow for the stone to speak for it self. The initial shape recalls a feather with a white tip. It also reads as a human in a canoe paddling. There is a quiet serenity. Please take a moment to voyage back in time. Sublime.

      The following series of  pictures below are all of the same tool picked out from the group of tools above. I am not here to reinvent the tool.  I have found embellishments by humans for humans that merge with the tool.  For me, this embellishment, is what confirms the stone's history as a tool. This revelation may not be for the faint of heart.  So, we are not here for reinventing a serrated edge, curved knife, drill, concave scrapers of sizes almost standardize. Yes, these tools are actually standardized by the human hand.  Like the inch to the thumb, it is made ergonomically to fit the human hand. All the tools you may need on one handy dandy stone. With that said, this is an open discussion. The questions are infinite. I may be totally wrong about everything, but prove me wrong, and make my day. 😇         the stones are highlighted, using a pen with my computer, with some of the forms that appear within the totem. Ple...

  There is a nice opportunity to introduce a new stone and also remind that we have found at least seven archaic profiles on the stone on the left. The profiles spiral and then continue on the other side of the stone. Above, the stone we are focused on is on the left. With new eyes, one can already start seeing more profiles. For now we are starting with what may be the more archaic profile found on the other side of the stone.            I have been watching this profile for a while. This face reoccurs in other totem stones as well. His small nose stands out among all the other larger nosed humans. His jaw too extends out. Here in this rendering he appears happy and energetic. I know this is a leap for some, and I may be wrong, but I am associating this profile with the archaic human Homo habilis.  I am not suggesting that homo habilis was directly  involved with the making of this particular stone artifact. What I am suggesting is that the ...

. The stone totem is everywhere on the northern hemisphere, with the push and pull of glacier ebb and flow. The material is patterned like clockwork. There are variants related to time and location, but the pattern is consistent.       I hope I have pulled back a few curtains that have held back a lot of this information. In this case seeing really is believing. This material is abundant. Thousands of years worth of napping leaving almost no stone unturned . In this next family of stones I have arranged them with a teaspoon for measure. The stone I am focusing on is the upper left. All three stone are arranged is a similar orientation just as you would a clock with its numbers. You can follow the profiles around the stone as you would follow the numbers on the face of a clock. they are all totem stones.  Below are two views ( front and back) of the  upper left stone. Please take a moment to really look. This is our archeological study. This is our dig sit...

   The idea of a calendar begins to solidify when the totem characters are associated with seasons and climate.  In the group below you will see a family of stones. I have tried to present them so the drill/bird beak is oriented pointing to the right. The larger stone is more for votive or funerary function. The other two  are  hand tools with multiple functioning edges. You can immediately notice differences in type  and shape of the stones. Spending a little time exploring the stones, you'll start picking up the similarities. Words are not so helpful in this process: you need to spend time looking at the stones. The more you look, the more you see. At times you may want to zoom  in close and other times stepping back will be helpful. The angle of light is another factor. Flipping and turning the stone is just a way to turn the page. The array of stone tools is extensive and abundant. They reflect the style and preferences of the people who created th...