Mi-Shell
The Father or emperor card shows the profile of a middle aged man in a none-descriptive fur
outfit. He wears a lapiz blue earring and in his hair what looks to be elk's teeth and more blue shels and stone pieces.
On his brow he has a tattoo , chevrons and dots.
To me is gaze appears to be visionary, decisive and experienced.
in front of him is his tool a “Point Straightener” made from bone or rock and used in the paleolithic to straighten arrows and spear shafts:
From :
The Nature of Paleolithic Art page 293 to 296
POINT- (OR SHAFT-) STRAIGHTENERS
While projectile points made from bone, antler, or ivory do not break as easily as stone or wood, their strong tendency to warp is a glaring disadvantage. This is because the source material from which they are made is seldom straight. Newly made points must often be straightened before they are used, but over time these materials have a persistent tendency to return to their original arcs. This warping can be remedied by using a wrench like tool to lever the point straight again. Such a tool allows one to apply more pressure on specific parts of the osseous (boney) point than is possible using hands alone. If the warp is serious, the point must first be soaked in water and then affixed to the handle of the straightener in a straight position to dry.
When dried straight, it will remain that way for a considerable time, Reindeer antlers were a favored Paleolithic material for projectile points, because the dense cortex is thicker than
that in antlers of other deer (Guthrie 1983). But even a blank taken from a straight piece of reindeer antler has an inherent tendency to warp. Antler tines are usually too
thick to be used whole, so blanks are normally cut from the thick cortex of the main antler beam. We have Paleolithic sections of antlers from which blanks were removed, so this process is well documented. The inner part of the antler is spongy but the cortex is dense; the cortex from a large bull's antler averages 1 centimeter in thickness. However, even within this dense cortex the inner portion is less dense and this difference alone inclines even a straight point to warp, particularly with changes in moisture.
Since projectile points need to be straight, this chronic tendency to curve must have meant that straightening points was a recurrent activity for Paleolithic hunters.
That probably explains why straighteners are relatively common in the late Paleolithic archaeological record.
These implements have also been called baton-de- commandment (staff of command) in French and Lochstab (simply "holed bar") in German. Both names reflect the fact that earlier researchers weren't sure what these objects were or how they were used. Indeed, many uses have been proposed, from a leather-rope softener to a piece of horse
bridle tack that held the bit-like muzzle constrictor . The older name baton-de-commandment even has overtones of a chief's or shaman's scepter of power.
................................................................................................................................
Many of these staffs were richly decorated , engraved and painted. these embellishments featured Mammoths, Rhinos, Birds -as symbols of shamanic flight, as well as penises to advertise prowess.
The "baton" we see here on our Emperor/ Father is from a find in Sungir, Russia and shows a speaking Bird.
outfit. He wears a lapiz blue earring and in his hair what looks to be elk's teeth and more blue shels and stone pieces.
On his brow he has a tattoo , chevrons and dots.
To me is gaze appears to be visionary, decisive and experienced.
in front of him is his tool a “Point Straightener” made from bone or rock and used in the paleolithic to straighten arrows and spear shafts:
From :
The Nature of Paleolithic Art page 293 to 296
POINT- (OR SHAFT-) STRAIGHTENERS
While projectile points made from bone, antler, or ivory do not break as easily as stone or wood, their strong tendency to warp is a glaring disadvantage. This is because the source material from which they are made is seldom straight. Newly made points must often be straightened before they are used, but over time these materials have a persistent tendency to return to their original arcs. This warping can be remedied by using a wrench like tool to lever the point straight again. Such a tool allows one to apply more pressure on specific parts of the osseous (boney) point than is possible using hands alone. If the warp is serious, the point must first be soaked in water and then affixed to the handle of the straightener in a straight position to dry.
When dried straight, it will remain that way for a considerable time, Reindeer antlers were a favored Paleolithic material for projectile points, because the dense cortex is thicker than
that in antlers of other deer (Guthrie 1983). But even a blank taken from a straight piece of reindeer antler has an inherent tendency to warp. Antler tines are usually too
thick to be used whole, so blanks are normally cut from the thick cortex of the main antler beam. We have Paleolithic sections of antlers from which blanks were removed, so this process is well documented. The inner part of the antler is spongy but the cortex is dense; the cortex from a large bull's antler averages 1 centimeter in thickness. However, even within this dense cortex the inner portion is less dense and this difference alone inclines even a straight point to warp, particularly with changes in moisture.
Since projectile points need to be straight, this chronic tendency to curve must have meant that straightening points was a recurrent activity for Paleolithic hunters.
That probably explains why straighteners are relatively common in the late Paleolithic archaeological record.
These implements have also been called baton-de- commandment (staff of command) in French and Lochstab (simply "holed bar") in German. Both names reflect the fact that earlier researchers weren't sure what these objects were or how they were used. Indeed, many uses have been proposed, from a leather-rope softener to a piece of horse
bridle tack that held the bit-like muzzle constrictor . The older name baton-de-commandment even has overtones of a chief's or shaman's scepter of power.
................................................................................................................................
Many of these staffs were richly decorated , engraved and painted. these embellishments featured Mammoths, Rhinos, Birds -as symbols of shamanic flight, as well as penises to advertise prowess.
The "baton" we see here on our Emperor/ Father is from a find in Sungir, Russia and shows a speaking Bird.
