Identitet i praktik - Identity in Practice

9 lo k A l A, r e g i o n A l A o c H i m p o r t e r A d e s t e n r e d s k A p i n o m mä l A r dA l e n o c H Be r g s l A g e n s
being ”angry” if they fail to fracture as desired and will
call out to them using their ”secret names” as they search
for them at the quarry sites along the river. The boulders
themselves are believed to grow with age as people do . .
. with ”old stone” (wisy-ya) being darker and stronger than
”young stone” (ya-babau). (Stout 2002 s.704)
När ett lämpligt block påträffades samlades flera expeditionsmedlemmar
för att bedöma materialets kvalité
och egenskaper.
When one of the craftsmen locates a promising boulder . .
. a test flake is struck in order to reveal the bol or deep skin
of the rock . . . This exposed surface may also be wetted
down in order to make its crystalline structure more easily
visible (a technique called magalingna). Craftsmen who
happens to be in the immediate area gather to discuss
the merits of the selected boulder, commenting on the
size and uniformity of the grain, the danger of internal
flaws (ismar), and the presence of black (bataya) or white
(boladiatenga, ”deep skin belt”) mineral bands . . . Although
they realize the that these bands often represents points
of weakness in the rock, the adze makers prize them for
their aestethetic value.” (Stout 2002 s.697)
Att korrekt klassificera bergarten i blocken var ett grannlaga
jobb, som bäst utfördes i grupp. Bedömningen kunde
också ändras under arbetets gång, allt eftersom man
upptäckte nya egenskaper hos stenarna.
Stone-type names are generally assigned after careful examination
of the stone’s physical properties, usually in the
context of group discussion. Naming first occurs at the
quarry site, but the name may change as work proceeds. I
was informed that grinding in particular reveals qualities
helpful in naming an adze, such as the size, color, and
uniformity of crystals or the presence of mineral bands.
Such bands are considered to be important ”signs” of a
stone’s name. (Stout 2002 s.704)
Resultatet av denna kollektiva, socialt förhandlade namngivning,
var att de brutna yxämnena av basalt/andesit
klassificerades som tillhöriga en av 14 namngivna varianter
av denna bergart.
När expeditionsmedlemmarna var överens om att
bergarten i ett block lämpade sig för yxtillverkning kunde
brytningen påbörjas.
For small boulders, the production of flake blanks (ya-las
[ya = stone]) begins immediately. If the boulder core (yadup)
is small enough to be easily manipulated by hand,
blanks will be produced using a medium sized (~10-15 cm,
0.5-1 kg) hammerstone (ya-winwin) and a driftwood anvil
(ya-sigita). Large boulders are attacked with a larger (~25-30
t r At t Bäg A r k u lt u r
cm, 5-10 kg) hammerstone (dabim). Both dabim and winwin
percussors are selected in an expedient fashion from the
readily available riverstones. . . For the largest boulders, fire
is used to aid in fracture. After a large boulder has been
sufficiently heated (sometimes for most of the day), it is
cracked open and then reduced by direct percussion with
a dabim. Flakes and large fragments produced may be used
directly as blanks or, if they are particularly large, further
reduced using the hammer and anvil technique described
above. (Stout 2002 s.697)
Stenbrytningen innehåller således flera arbetsmoment i
sekvens – en handlingskedja där varje steg kan betraktas
som ett teknologiskt val (eller flera), val som görs inom
ramen för arbetets sociala sammanhang i en specifik
kulturell kontext (jfr. kapitel 2.8).
Liksom stenbrytningen hos Langda kan ses som en
handlingskedja av teknologiska val, kan också det fortsatta
arbetet med yx- eller malstensproduktion diskuteras
som ett exempel på en kulturellt specifik handlingskedja.
Tillslagningen av förarbetena försiggick både direkt vid
brottet och vid den hydda där täktarbetarna tillbringade
nätterna. Liksom man samarbetat med brytningen var
det vanligt att flera olika stensmeder deltog i arbetet
med samma ämne.
As with blank production, in which several men may work
the same boulder core, a single blank may be reduced by
two or more men before reaching the roughout stage.
(Stout 2002 s.698)
Under arbetet byggdes högar med yxämnen upp på
arbetsplatsen, några ämnen valdes ut av stensmederna
som slagit dem, men huvuddelen forslades vid expeditionens
slut till hembyn, där de lagrades vid huset där
den lokale ”mästerstensmeden” bodde. Det var framför
mästersmedens hus som de sista leden i yxslagningen
utfördes, ett värv som också det utfördes inom ramen
för en social gemenskap och enligt en kulturellt specifik
handlingskedja.
As knapping proceeds there is a great deal of socializing,
including discussion of the ongoing work. It is also
traditional for adze makers to call out after a particularly
successful flake removal. The most common exclamations
are ”harak” and ”Alim-Ey”, the latter being a reference
to the mythical figure Alim Yongnum, who is revered
as the provider of the tool-stone found in the Ey River.
Sometimes the flakes (ya-tokol) produced are held aloft in
display or passed along the line for examination. It is also
common for knappers to observe and comment on the
work of their neighbours (particularly if these neighbours
are less experienced) and even to give aid by taking over for
a while from another individual who is having difficulties.
(Stout 2002 s.698)
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