An experimental archaeological hobbyist spoke at the Trenton Rotary Club meeting on February 24, 2022, about primitive fire building.
Experimental archaeology is a field of study which attempts to generate and test archaeological hypotheses, usually by replicating or approximating the feasibility of ancient cultures performing various tasks or feats. It employs several methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches, based upon archaeological source material.
Steve Spencer talked about how fire was critical to early humans, in particular with weapon making and cooking. He said fire building was one of the most important jobs in a tribe.
Spencer showed examples of equipment used in early fire building, including the fire bow, flint fire, and fire piston. A fire bow uses sticks and string to create heat, a flint fire uses pyrite against a rock to create a fire spark, and a fire piston creates compression build-up to ignite bark and create a fire. The fire piston led to other fire building creations made in France and Germany, where Rudolf Diesel’s experiment with fire led to the creation of the diesel motor.
During the business meeting, Trenton Rotary members were reminded about the Shoes for Orphan Souls project. Members were asked to donate at least one pair of new shoes for the project and match that donation with a second pair of shoes to be distributed locally to those in need.
It was announced that the Trenton Area Ministerial Alliance will hold its annual Community Good Friday Service at the Trenton R-9 Performing Arts Center on April 15th.
