From the Ice of Canada, to Maine, to Ethiopia, Lithic Literature Tells the Story.
From the ice of Canada, to the coast of Maine, to Ethiopia, Lithic Literature tells the story. I am trying to bring it to the attention of the University Of Maine @ Orono that this material is worth acknowledging. With a new discovery from the ice melt of Canada, and another stone adze manufacturing site in Ethiopia, it is a good time to see how the adze found on the little granite mountain in Maine compares. There will be some repetitive information in subject matter as we start mapping the similarities, but the images from the newly found stones are super. Please help me out here and pay more attention to the original stone than any writing or highlighting. These artist were amazing and the design is highly complex. The styles and techniques vary as do styles and fads that move through society today. There is a new reference to buckles and reins that will be covered in this article, which is super exciting. There is so much material that the fast highlighting is just a way for me to keep track. Sometimes my highlighting makes me happy as a visual treat. I know I am working fast and furious because I am trying to understand it all. What is a little awkward is that here in the USA we have not yet accepted this material as real. It is a little sad that we are rather prejudice of our earlier selves. Although our brains may have even shrunk since our wilder days, we some how believe that this over domesticated version of ourselves may be smarter and more advance. I agree we have made some great advances, but we have also forgotten how we got here.
I remember when we initially started to play with fractal designs. At first everyone said it was a cool exploration but it was not really useful, now it is vital in most scientific endeavors including in the cooling of silicon chips, antennas in cellphones, in Wi-Fi systems, and many more. The fractal design is used in construction to strengthen cables and structures. Fractals are great for mapping out the rough coasts as it uses the fractal as recursive design. Lithic Literature makes use of the fractal. The ancient human made use of the fractals in nature to understand, communicate and record the world around them. I find the similar approach when applied in art of origami too, where simple folds turn into elaborate designs. If anyone has any knowledge of origami, you know that there are a few basic folds that with a few alterations, can become a horse, bird, elephant, flower, insect, etc. The capacity to create, communicate, and store data is nothing new for humans. In fact it is part of the human experience. If this is your first time hearing about Lithic Literature you have joined us at a good time. I live in Maine and have begun to study a small granite mountain here on the coast. I was thrilled when I saw that they had recently discovered a lovely obsidian adze in British Columbia's Mount Edziza Provincial Park.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/artifacts-found-ice-canada
The volcanic landscape of the park near the present-day Canada–U.S. border has been home to the Tahltan, one of the country’s Indigenous. This obsidian adze was given the date of about 7 thousands years old. I also have an adze found on the small granite mountain here in my neighborhood napped from a igneous stone. Let's take a look at them side by side. Using your artist's eye, look at the approach to the stone work, look for subject matter. Although they are crafted from different types of stone, igneous and obsidian, you can see the the shapes are very similar.
I always start looking for subjects I am familiar with to compare the approach and treatment. WOW! What a treat! The birds are well matched. If I was an ornithologist I would be going wild exploring the species of birds that are represented here. In the university setting I may have access to different departments to help identify the birds, especially the extinct birds. As always you can spy the development of each bird and its place in the food chain. From the copulation to the nest, you can follow the little birds growth and anatomy with both skeletal and soft tissue are included. I am interested it the larger species of raptors that may have been used for flight by a diminutive human female. I have no problem seeing that both adze are amazingly similar! If you are patient, and give your brain a chance to download the information you can see each birds food preference, some love fish or bugs or nectar. I will warn you some may want to eat YOU! A good helmet made from a larger headed human works well with a quick release talon clip around the chin. I do have a post where this is covered. It is one of the first things a good mother would do for her infant. If there are monkeys available, that will be a fine starter helmet.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2021/04/could-this-be-habilis-handyman-that.html
I am so happy you are here to join me in this exploration into our past. I am hoping with this exposure you are beginning to see the amazing human. As you explore the different birds take a little time to peek in to the negative spaces between the the abundance of feathers and see the tiny human grow. Along with the infant, it incudes types of swaddling techniques. Here in the bird layer, we are reminded of the effectiveness of feathers and down for insulation. When we move to the mammal layer the fur too will be explored as a resource. I could spend a lifetime just documenting the birds. There is enough material for every one. With that said I also feel compelled to continue to the next layer. I am focused on the story of the human female and her story. In more recent times she has been referred as the Venus. I believe she is the secret that has been held too long. I believe we owe this character a place on the throne at the top of the human experience. In the stones, we are reminded that without her perseverance and ingenuity, we would not be here as a species. I am content to see the consistency of the bird layer.
The next layer leaps up as the shark breaches out of the water to snap up the bird layer. It also explores defense plans for living in and around the ocean. I am horrified of sharks and often had nightmares as a child of having to confront the shark while swimming in the ocean. The shark scene for the ancient humans was just as terrifying. In the next image I have highlighted for you some of the shark action. I suggest you take a little time to explore the layer. It helps to step away a moment and maybe make a cup of tea and stretch your legs. Let the brain relax, digest, and upload any new information in the design.
Now that your mind has cleared the pallet we are ready for the sharks! If you dare, note that the adze as a whole recreates the image of the breaching shark and can be found on both stones. Whoever created these images had great awareness of the great white shark as it takes front and center. We have seen how the shark enjoys a little avis snack as it breaches up.
https://youtu.be/-Z0xf1asvjI?si=rNQNT3_hANXyON5V
I am enjoying the African features of the beautiful head with some type of protective gear at the bottom of the adze from Maine on the R. She depicted in fine regalia with a crown like headdress with an elaborate hair style with braids elegantly arranged. she appears to be pensive as she looks down to the lower left of the design. Her skin appears dark and her features refined. I present the detail of the woman below.
With lots of buckles and bows, the beautiful lady appears to carry with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
You also see a bouquet 💐 of faces here. I believe it represents species of humans that coexisted at one time. You can follow it out to the blue tinged 🧊 ice age. The icy fingers reach out to the beautiful maiden. Does she succumb? Is this documentation of the loss of the larger raptors of the megafauna? The icy blue has the answer as it works through the maidens crown. As you work your way up the design, you can see the shark as it aims to tip the red highlighted boat shapes with passengers. The boat of choice appears to be a dug out canoe. You can start seeing more boat designs if you linger here. I'm thinking that the tipping of the boat is also pointing to the fact that the shark can be immobilized if flipped upside-down. with a few confident moves the shark is nothing but food and resources to build another boat. This time it may a shark skinned boat.
Above I have flipped the stone on its head. I assure you the ancients did not leave many points on the the plane surface of the stone disconnected. I am convinced that there are timelines all over the design that can be figured out in time. You can follow different sequences as you turn and flip the stone. Above, I have used red to highlight a few of the boats of which there are many. Some are a small as a one man skin kayak or dugout canoe. I have also added some sails highlighted in white. If you use your new skills in reading what the ancients worked so hard to record, you can find the image of a dog in the center. The dogs features are embedded the sail design. Along with the dog you can spot the old man that appears to have a close trimmed beard. I believe Homer's Odyssey is one man's attempt to lay down his interpretation of the story in the stone and he gave this dog the name Argos and the old man is nonother than Odysseus. I have not doubt that I could match up the the different series of images on the stones with the epic poem by Homer. Homer was using the images in the stones to create his narrative. 🤺
The honey tinted colors also lend themselves to the story of the honey girl. She wears a veil supported by extensions that often appear as antlers to screen out the bees as she works. A bee bite in the eye is most unpleasant. The honey girl is one of the older depictions of a human and found around the world. She was popular as was her honey, yet somehow she has not been fully acknowledged. By following her story I have found her linked to the Venus. She represents one of the many phases of the life of the Venus. I have left you a link to another article where you can see how her story plays out. I believe that the honey girls depicted on the the many temples in India are one and the same. Please explore the article below.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-venus-quest-end-of-long-journey.html
I will flash the image of the two adzes without my suggestions so that you can see for yourself. This is a real test for the ego. Some folks believe that if they see other subjects as I interpret a particular sequence that it makes my analysis null. On the contrary, I am only reassured that this is a very complex design. You will see other layers! I encourage everyone to do their own exploration and document.
Going back to the shark attack depicted on the stones. The design often gives possible insight possible situations a human may find themselves in. The design will often give options of how to respond to different dangers. Here we have the story of a woman in a boat. The boat I have chosen from the litany of possible boat is highlighted it in red. If there are any boat experts out there, I assure you there are many boats to choose from and it may be a way to date these artifacts. I chosen a smaller boat, just right for a young family. In this story the man is languishing in the boat. I believe there is a reference to scurvy, and could indicate this family has been on the ocean for a long period of time. Below is a little video I created using the imagery found on the cliff side of our little granite mountain on the coast of Maine.
You can also follow the action of the right hook that the female uses to defend her partner and family and deter the breaching shark in the stone adzes. If successful, the family survives another day. The scene of the shark attack is repeated at different levels on the stones. I believe that it may indicate that there have been different ocean levels as well as maximum shark size, and this is an effort to record this these levels. It may also be pointing to a pattern. A pattern that humans should be aware of in order to be prepared. Could we be seeing the reoccurrence of rising oceans that the stones mentioned today? Better start practicing your right hook!
Now let us check in with the incredible African continent, where another adze from more than 1.2 million years ago, an unknown group of human relatives may have created sharp hand axes from volcanic glass in a "stone-tool workshop" in what is now Ethiopia, a new study finds. I think this adze will be a a good comparison with the one from Canada. It is similar in shape, as well as the one we found 😀 here in Maine on our little granite mountain. In all three adzes there is an attacker from the upper left. It is a wolf 🐺 😳 then a bear, then a large cat. The fox is in the mix. There are three paths for the attackers. 1) the attacker takes down the human and the pup, kitten, cubs partake in eating the baby human. 2) the beast is tamed as mascot. 3) it is processed and used as a lovely stole, cloak, or shelter/boat. This story can be followed in all three. Our job is to find possible timeline or location 🤔 in the clues offered by the image.
https://www.livescience.com/massive-1-million-year-old-tool-workshop-in-ethiopia-made-by-clever-group-of-unknown-human-relatives
More than 1.2 million years ago, an unknown group of human relatives may have created sharp hand axes from volcanic glass in a "stone-tool workshop" in what is now Ethiopia, a new study finds.
Above is my initial exploration of the Ethiopian Adze. I was gratified by the placement of subject matter. If you are familiar with this blog there are certain human characters that seem to be the center of Human survival. The story of the ancient sailor that is prone to follow bats as they migrated is one of them. I often find him tinged in blue by the original artist/technician. It will recall the The Hindu version of this character. You can almost make out the shark shape we find in the stones we are trying to decider here in the image of Krishna below.
The blue tint is not a healthy look for a human and is associated with ecchymosis that is a common symptom as the body is unable to restore itself. The body can recover with a supply of vitamin C. The blue hue of the ecchymosis and the the great white shark are shared.
I have offered the three adze below as they share the same story of the sea as humans do their best to survive. It includes a litany of boats including the famous large animal ferry also known as a giant guffa that can always be spotted ferrying the giraffe and elephant. Like the use of the image of the blue tinged scurvy survivor employed by Hinduism, we find Christianity employing the giant guffa as Noah's ark. I am here to remind folks that the real story includes a very brave female enduring many dangers to support and defend the languishing man of blue, including the offering of the apple. It is the vitamin C found in the apple that saves the man.
As you scroll down through the following images of the Ethiopian adze you will note certain consistency such as the predator intruding into the mother and child space. The reference to the brown furred predators is covered in a previous article provided in the link below.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-stone-and-pieta-mona-lisa-and.html
After a reviewing the wolf character in the stones, he appears as a caricature reminiscent of the lone wolf in the old Disney cartoons.
Ethiopian adze of more than a million years old shares the same story as the Canadian and Maine finds. In all three there is an attacker from the upper left. It is a wolf 🐺 😳 then a bear, then a large cat. The fox is in the mix. There are three paths for the attackers. 1) the attacker takes down the human, and the pup/kitten/ cubs partake in eating the baby human. 2) the beast is tamed as mascot. 3) it is processed and used as a lovely stole, cloak, or shelter. This story can be followed in all three. Our job is to find possible timeline or location 🤔 in the clues offered by the image.
In the image below the female responds to the beast leaping in from the upper left. Is it friend or foe? It may have an element of a cartoon that comes from a practiced hand. The scene of the mother with two family dogs is so sweet. As you follow up the blade, as you get to tip, you start to get in your defense position. You were smart to have repaired it. With out the shaft it would be a knife 🔪 😕 😏 fight. The dogs had alerted you and you were ready for the attackers. They must have coordinated their attack somehow or maybe just the full moon. The greedy tiger rules here and is first to pounce. All you did was stand your ground and the beast impaled itself on the spear. The rest of your group was now in action with spears, stones, fire , ropes, and a few good punches, the attackers were thwarted.
When turned horizontally the stones carry on the human saga. If you are able to relax your mind and let your brain guide you, a landscape will present itself. You will see a mountain and hills that provide an incline that humans preferred for supporting villages as described in the article provided in the link below.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2024/06/la-llorona-in-stones-and-water.html
I assure you there are so many layers here that I can not possibly document everything I see. There is obviously a need for a group effort. I really believe that the University would benefit from this knowledge and it would help move it forward. I am looking at the image of the Ethiopian adz/ax above. I found the ocean surface as the nautical fauna partake in the scene. I even eyed a fish hawk, which is one of the more nobler birds. Others seabird families can be spotted bobbing on the water. The draftsmanship of the water surface displays the capacity of the artist to employ a three point perspective. Here is where the argument for the capacity of the artist in setting up a grid and graphing the design truly stands up. The water surface itself becomes the grid, as the waves rhythmically set down the lines. The beauty of fractal Math is all around us.
In the next scene there seem to be some telling activity flying in from the left. It appears to be bats, birds, and insects. Are they forecasting serious weather? There is sailor looking up from below. Hopefully, he is far enough out at sea to avoid being thrown against the shore. He may be smart and follow the alarming fauna. It could also remind us that humans were in boats following migrating animals and birds by sea.
When we turn towards shore we may be relieved to be way out at sea following migrating bats. Below, the horrific scene of volcanoes and in-coming tsunami can be seen from a bird's eye view. With the erupting volcanic activity, a small village with human activity, has to act fast. Boats are poised for possible demise. There are multiple larger ferries loaded with larger quadrupeds. Sadly not all the ferries survive.
There are many ways to prepare and react to a flooding situation. As you master your newly founded capacity you will spot the elephant and its human attendant being assisted by holding the tip of the trunk above the water. The ox is assisted by a human by holding the nose above water. Another boat building material that is suggested is coconuts bound together. The palm and coconuts of the coconut tree is a central theme in many artifacts.
Birds, bats and sharks!
Above I have touched upon the litany of boats Including the incredible giant animal ferry. You can make out beautiful elephant and giraffe. The structure is very much what Irving Finkle projected. You can view the Irving Finkle project in the article linked below. I think he would approve💖.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2024/06/lithic-literature-is-asking-to-be-read.html
The owl is often mentioned as it competes with space in the tree hollows with the honey bees. Honey was as good as gold for the early humans and provided the perfect resource for the honey-girls and their associates.
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Above, the bat man, who was a sailor man, shows off his food preference. He is often shown snacking on bats. He suggests you eat the meaty morsal and discard the wings. He is traveling long distances by sea to follow the bat migration. His boats are some of the earliest boat designs. His ingenuity points to the use of trees as a resource for masts. Below I have highlighted in red some possible boat hulls. You can pick any arraignment of masts from the trees offered. See if you can make out the crows nest at the top with a bird and first mate.
I am enjoying the surfer hanging ten surfing in the stone above ,🏄and the fish are hopping.
I am always on a mission after noting that there was a female character. You can refer to her as you like. I first discovered her here in Maine. My curiosity and intense need to understand the world around me brought me an invitation to the Azores. I have a short piece where I cover the tiny bit of the Raptor Maiden story. and I am ready to turn the page to the layer that continues the forgotten story of Venus. I include the Venus reference because it is a character that is recognized by academics as a manmade effigy found as far back as we can see in human history.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2023/01/mapping-out-life-story-of-raptor-maiden.html
The adze from the little stone mountain sports a beautiful maiden. Childbirth is never far from the maiden. You can at times see her milk drop as she prepares for birth. This tree hugging female seems to rise to the occasion no matter the situation. From childbirth to saving humankind, this chick could handle it. There is a dress code that seems to apply where the talons of large birds where tanned to be boots. They appear to look like platform shoes with keratin soles. I suspect they were fun to wear as well as camouflage when wanting to fly undetected.
I have been following this beautiful, agile, independent, female across the world, from gestation, to gathering a large raptor egg, and raising it to an enormous size. A common stance of the maiden is as a adolescent trying to keep her giant incessantly squawking hires quiet. If anyone ever had a crows nest near their window, they are familiar with the needy young birds and the constant squawking for their mother.😐
Above the infant is highlighted in pink and starts working her way to the breast and will grow and mature before your eyes.
Below are some links to some interesting views into the life of the Venus/honey-girl/ raptor-maiden. Please enjoy.
https://youtu.be/_jnCZEfZncs?si=4DcZPDX7MrJsBK4K
The honey girls attire is related to honey comb collection. She wears protective gear especially around the face. Bee bites to the eye are avoidable with mesh held a distance from the face to avoid the bite and allow for visibility. The knife would be needed to cut the comb. I do believe this lady would defend her ground. Below is a fun link about the female warrior. As I explore the possibilities presented in the stone, I start seeing some Scythian like designs that seem connected with buckles and bows.
https://greekreporter.com/2024/07/09/new-find-confirm-amazons-ancient-female-warriors-existed/
I mentioned at the beginning of this article that there was a reference to buckles and harnesses, muzzles, and reins. We were able to make out the using and making of ropes over a million years ago on the fossilized sands in South Africa. We have acknowledged that humans have been sailors for as long. Sailors and ropes go together as do fishing nets. To find rope to rein in horses and donkeys is not so far fetched. The added metallurgy can be spied in what looks like metal buckles and other fancy metal work decorating the quadruped of choice. Below, I have highlighted a horse.
https://karolabryant.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-closer-look-at-article-on-fossilized.html
When comparing the horse, harness, and reins, with the adze from Canada, the Maine adze is just as impressive. Both technicians had information about horses and equipment to ride.
The rearing action of the horse on the Canadian adze is beautiful and clocks in at 7000 years old.
I have no problem stating that there is very little to tell me that the Maine adze is not as old as the Canadian stone. Although the materials differ and the qualities of the medium may require different strokes to acquire the desired effect, the results are similar. They are both exceptional in their own way but could be the same age. On the lower left I highlighted in gold what looks like bridle/harness and other embellishments such as blinders, muzzles, and decorated plates and buckles.
I am going to stop here. I find the design in all three adzes convincing as ancient artifacts employing Lithic Literature to communicate the history of the tool and its maker. Now how to differentiate the stones into chronological order. Where does the Maine stone fall? I believe that there is a tremendous opportunity for the university to help answer some questions. Is there a way to explore the surface layers to find which marks were laid down first and then analyze the additional layers for a possible chronology . Please continue looking and thank you for joining me. It brings me great joy to share. I am also learning and documenting as we continue to decipher the stories and characters in Lithic Literature. I am thinking I may take a little break from Maine and add to the possible interpretation of the T-pillars. This should be fun. Thank you again for looking.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/artifacts-found-ice-canada
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