I am an ethnobotanist with a particular interest in plants used for friction fire. Not long ago some people wrote here of growing mullein on their home property and some seed trading went on. Here in California the plant used most by the Indians for their hand drills and arrow making was mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia). I recently found a large stand of the plant growing at a well known archaeological village site at Malaga Cove. Non native landscaping plants appear to be slowly crowding the mulefat out. Not really a worry since the plant is common. The value of a collectable plant is greater when its origin is known. So, I've collected some seed and tagged it Mule Fat, Chowigna (the old village name). This gave me an idea. Is there mullein around any famous archaeological sites such as Stonehenge?
Firestick Cultivars
- Thread starter Ivan
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Mullien is pretty ubiquitous and can be found all over the British countryside. Last year a huge one that was almost 3 meters tall popped up on a bank outside where I used to work. I gathered the seeds and have scattered them in the garden.
So are you saying that what you call 'mullein' over there is Baccharis salicifolia (which we don't have over here)? Here, mulleins are members of the Verbascum family:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullein
Jim
What, our native Verbascum of the Californian Baccharis? If the former, you may still find seeds in last year's seed heads. I'd let you have some, but as above I chucked them in the garden. What do you want them for, as a matter of interest?
Jim
Thanks for your reply Robert. I don't expect they did spread firestick plants about, although I suppose it's possible. Many food plants and tobacco were spread extensively across the Americas. I think the mulefat patch I mentioned was there when the Indians lived there.
So are you saying that what you call 'mullein' over there is Baccharis salicifolia (which we don't have over here)?
Jim[/QUOTE]
Hi Jim. No, you are right that mullein and mulefat are two quite different plants. Mullein is not native to the Americas, although it's a common weed around California. I prefer to use our native traditionally used mulefat. If I lived in the UK I'd favor mullein. I'm just saying if someone wants to grow a firestick plant, one from a special location would be a treasure.
Jim[/QUOTE]
Hi Jim. No, you are right that mullein and mulefat are two quite different plants. Mullein is not native to the Americas, although it's a common weed around California. I prefer to use our native traditionally used mulefat. If I lived in the UK I'd favor mullein. I'm just saying if someone wants to grow a firestick plant, one from a special location would be a treasure.
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Stonehenge is 4,000 years old, and sits surrounded by arable fields and it has a road near by. Britian has non-native plants been brought in by people since the romans. Also the from what I know flint and pyrites was the prodominant method of firemaking (the other methods don't leave much archeology though). I can understand the type of evidence you are looking for. In the dark ages the area where I live was called mercia, it exported woad to other kingdoms, I have only ever seen the plant locally. The thing is that is evidance of a trade that is 1200 years old, if you are looking for bronze age permaculture, britain has been too heavily farmed to find much evidance in what is living in hedgerows. Archeological soil samples are used instead.
BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Ivan,
You threads are always stimulating.
You may care to know that in the Old world Asian tropics 'firesticks' in the form of the fire bamboos - Schizostachyum jaculans, S. iraten and, possibly, S. lima - were carried by indigenous people when new settlements were established. This has been confirmed by interviews with elders. These cultivars are known as 'village' bamboos.
These bamboos had uses apart from firestarting, being used mainly for containers and basketry associated with religious rites as well as demarcating spiritually safe areas.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10517&highlight=Papua+fire+string
Seems I was off base with mullein. But from what Bod tells, there are bamboo cultivars used in firecraft. Ed Read, of bamboo strike alite fame, told me of certain bamboos for arrow making. Here in California the Indians often used canes of Phragmites as mainshafts in composite arrows and hand drills. Bod, do you know if composite hand drills were made in your area?
So is it suggested that the dried flower spike of U.K. mullein (verbascum) is good for a fire drill? They're not very woody and are hollow, so I would not have suspected that they would be any good.
Jim
Jim
BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The fire bamboos are used for blow pipe making also in mainland Asia. Another reason to transport them.
Not aware of composite handrills but that does not mean they did not exist before since most of the other methods of fire production occur here - pump, hand, saw, thong, bamboo percussion, fire piston but funnily enough no mention of the bow drill
Hey Jim, the common Woolly Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has been used for ages as hand drills. Although, it can not be used with the bowdrill as it's too pithy.
Not aware of composite handrills but that does not mean they did not exist before since most of the other methods of fire production occur here - pump, hand, saw, thong, bamboo percussion, fire piston but funnily enough no mention of the bow drill[/QUOTE]
Hi Bod, I bet they did make composite handrills as well. These were used all over the Americas and elsewhere. I've made some fine ones myself out of bamboos and other materials. I can start another thread on composite handrills if others are interested.
Hi Bod, I bet they did make composite handrills as well. These were used all over the Americas and elsewhere. I've made some fine ones myself out of bamboos and other materials. I can start another thread on composite handrills if others are interested.
