On The Origins And Evolution of Beads and Coves

Humanoids are issued just two hands, with or without opposing
thumbs.

Humanoids are tool users.

Some humanoids not only use tools, but also make tools, out of
necessity. But good sharp pointy sticks may not have been
conveniently distributed throughout their range. That
necessitates that they take the tools they found, or made,
with them as they wander about in search of things to pole
with sharp pointy sticks.
*see
A Brief History of The Pointy Stick - Development & Variations
http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/P...2History0.html

But there's that "only have two hands" thing. Now it is
possible to juggle three or more objects, though walking
while doing so becomes a bit trickier. And walking while
keeping control of three or more moving objects can be
hazardous - what with lurking saber tooth tigers, sharp
rocks, low branches
and
the occasional......... C...L.
I


F



F



. ! .
......_\_/ _........

There was a need for consolidation and control - some means
of keeping stuff together so they could all be carried.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Thus - “Let there be string!” - and later - rope.

Actually, it was probably a female humanoid, who, while
preparing some mammoth meat decided to remove a piece
of tendon or ligament from an otherwise nice chunk of
meat and said to herself as she examined the tendon /
ligament - “You know, if you tied this thing to a tool ...”

And that may be the origin of “sinew” - a VERY handy
invention. (I’ve looked in anatomy books, searching for
“sinew”. I’ve found ligament, tendon, bursa, peretenium,
plura - but no “sinew”. I guess “language” was also
relatively new so humanoids could just make up words
as they went along encountering or inventing new things.
Markteting Departments and Advertising Agencies would
take over that “Make Up Words” function a bit later.)

And it was good (not the Marketing Department or Ad
Agencies - “sinew” was good.).

For some reason, “sinew” got replaced by the word
“string”. I think that was because “sinew” sounded
kind of weird - SIN - Ewwwww. “Ewwwwww” was
already a word which meant “icky”, “gross”, “yucky”
and SIN meant BAD!, Naughty, “a Ticket to HELL!
(You see, Spokespersons For GOD(s) came along well
before technology and had staked out the DO & DON’T
territory and had already invented “SIN”. If you
want to gain, and maintain POWER - threaten people
with violence. But if you REALLY want POWER -
threaten them - FOR ETERNITY.).

ANYWAY - shortly after the advent of sinew - the “knot”
was invented, and the “belt” soon followed (it was
probably Necessity that mothered the invention of the knot
- and the belt).

At some point, the idea of tieing something to the tools that
couldn't be held in just two hands came up. Tie a "string"
around the tool and tie the other end onto the "belt". The
"two hands / more than two tools problem" was almost solved
- almost. You see, some tools are basically cylindrical and
the string kept sliding off of one end. And some tools have
sharp edges somewhere that could cut the string.

There was a need for coming up with something that would
keep the "string" on the tool "handle".

Now the ability to make holes in things was thousands
of year away. OK, so the ability to make holes in
other animals was around - but holes in wood would
take a while.

Grooves they could make. So scratch a groove around
the "handle" of the tool, fit the "string" in it and
it'll stay there. There's still the matter of putting
the tools away - we're still working on that one to
this day. We’ll leave that one for some future
discussion.

Now grooves also came in handy for improving
the grip on a tool. You don't want a slippery
handle on a mammoth hide scraper or a bloody
meat cutting tool. Oh - and sharp ends on handles
of most tools can make holes in the tool user's
hand while he/she is making holes in something
else. BUT - if one were to rub those sharp ends
and edges against a stone they go away and you
get basically a hemisphere. NIce shape for the
end of a hand tool. Fits in the palm nicely
without puncturing skin. That is a good thing.

As is usually the case, at some point, technology
and the artist intersect - and aesthetics soon
become a factor because, just as day follows night,
sunshine follows rain, laughter follows pain ...
(Sorry, got off into some Dire Straits lyrics)
- art critics follow artists. It’s just the nature of
things.

If You Build It - They Will Come - and Critique IT
- while complaining that the canapes were a bit dry,
the wine selection was all wrong. And the ambiance!
My word! I thought I’d just die when I saw what
some of the invited guests were wearing! I mean,
really - who in god’s name put together the
invitations list! OH - and someone should tell Bitsy
that necklace was just TOO ostentatious - for that
specific occassion. It’d be absolutely PERFECT
- at one of The Donald’s soirees - but a gallery
opening? She really needs to fire her fashion
consultant before she TOTALLY destroys her
reputation. My GAWD - what was she thinking!

Sorry - back to utilitarian grooves.

Grooves become coves and beads. They still maintain
their function - but now they're more pleasing to the
eye and may be even nicer to hold and make the hand
tool easier to use.

Eventually, the original needs are met by some
other innovation / invention - the tool belt for
example, belt clips etc. But coves, beads, balls and
so on persists, got refined and became purely
aesthetic - when done well and combined well.
The latter may explain the origin of The Ogee
- or not.

Just a hypothesis. There may be better
explanations for why people take perfectly good
sticks and turn shapes in them.

charlie b

Hi Charlie, I think I understand your theory re the ups & downs and ins
& outs of beads & coves and I suppose humanoids learned to ride the
bevel of a pointy stick to avoid repeating the big bang along the way,
but how & when did they add a flute to the pointy stick ...and was it a
'V' or a 'U'? I imagine the rich humanoids who inherited big caves had
powdered wood sticks.


I sure can relate to your hilarious gallery opening diversion. My
daughter once owned a small art gallery at the corner of Broome &
Broadway (for NuYawkers). She rarely sold anything, but the per capita
consumption of free cheese and wine was outstanding as well as
bankrupting. For a while Dad felt like he was the drive up window at the
bank. Like the very rich, the very true artists aren't like you and me,
they never pick up the check. As for opening the purse, forget it.
They are critical of quality in free wine, but they don't critique the
'Thunderbird' they drink at home.


Thanks for the hypothesis Charlie. I think I remember that Darwin found
several animals on the Galapagos with pointed holes in their sides, but
did you find any pointy sticks there and if so, were sinews tied around
their coves?

Nature usually abhors a vacuum, but it ain't necessarily so here on rcw;
witness this post.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


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