Tree-felling with a stone adze

Im März 2012 führten wir unseren zweiten Versuch durch, eine Eiche mit Steindechseln ("Schuhleistenkeilen") zu fällen. 2011 ging Einiges schief, aber wir haben aus den Problemen gelernt: Die Werkzeuge wurden verbessert, Arbeitstechniken optimiert, und wir hatten wieder viel Spaß im Ergersheimer Wald. Im nächsten Jahr werden wir uns intensiver mit Arbeiten beschäftigen, die wir jetzt ausprobiert haben, vor allem das Spalten und die Weiterverarbeitung des Baumstammes.
In March 2012 we carried out our second attempt to cut down an oak tree with stone adzes ("shoe-last" adzes). 2011 we had a lot of problems from which we learned: We optimized the tools and working techniques and had much fun in the Ergersheim forest. Next year we will keep on experimenting with cleaving trunks and fine woodworking.

[@mikegb667]

Impressive effort, I bet they could get much quicker with practice though... it's amazing to think that most of the forested land of Europe was cleared using stone and bronze tools.

[@KnapperJackCrafty]

Eines der besten Videos, die ich je gesehen habe!

[@stacywilmshurst7011]

appreciate the speed of the axe, even though they seem very similar the difference in time is remarkable. adze is really a carving tool, and this tree base was carved to a cone.

[@Frankallen12]

Good Job on this Post!! I loved it! Thanks!

[@lusolad]

Would not they have used fire as another tool to help get the tree down? With just the adze...it seems too long a process.....

[@conlinbryant5037]

Yeah both fire and an adze would be used

[@francismarcoux8495]

Why not use fire. Burning the base and removing the charcoals when they are ready alot easier.

[@stalememe6407]

+Francis Marcoux that would harden the wood and make it nearly impossible to chop teh tree down with the adze

[@pestleman1951]

GREAT VIDEO !!!

[@irreverentidea]

How long did it take from start to finish?

[@Judge_Mike]

6 hours

[@ulfr23]

About 6 hours net working time for 1 - 3 persons.

[@oathlords7989]

Thank you so much! Exactly what I needed to know for getting people started crafting from nothing. =)

[@TheBrradsullivan]

my god the calories ancient man would have needed just to fell one tree..

[@billyasrabilh.2658]

here bcause Primitive Technology :D

[@johnlamb95]

Just set fire to the base of the tree and it’ll burn all the way through the middle of the tree saves you so much work and is historically accurate!

[@ulfr23]

How much work would you invest collecting or even making dry firewood to burn down a 60 cm fresh oak with all the sap inside? How would you make the fire burn horizontally? Historically accurate ... any sources?

[@johnlamb95]

ulfr23 some of Stone Age tribes did it in the Americas I see no reason why they couldn’t have done it in Europe as well and it saves you A lot of calories in a time When food was a lot harder to get Than today

[@johnlamb95]

I saw primitive technology burn through a huge 2m Thick and the tree fresh Greenwood to!

[@gregkosinski2303]

@@johnlamb95 I believe there are accounts of maoris doing it too

[@johnlamb95]

Why are you using and adze And not an axes are far better At Felling trees Adzes Are used to carve wood not to fell trees

[@ulfr23]

To be historically accurate! At that time Middle European people didn´t have axes, only adzes, this was the purpose of our attempt to find out how they did it with adzes.

[@johnlamb95]

But why?

[@ulfr23]

I don´t know, I didn´t live back then. We have no evidence in Europe for burning down trees.

[@johnnydoe4179]

Why would you cut down a 120 year old tree?

[@nsdtgabe4082]

Johnny Doe why not?

[@Tr1Hard777]

Like a chipmunk

[@andreasfranzkowiak9190]

Info: www.ergersheimer-experimente.de

[@lotsofwoods]

This is stupid. Who on earth ever thought to take down a tree like this

[@brett3862]

Jeff Ballantyne All the humans before metalworking was invented....

[@lotsofwoods]

The way they are using the Adze seems a little rediculous. If they could sharpen a stone and make an adze, im sure someone would figure out how to make an axe. Its like trying to cut a tree down with a hammer when you have an axe

[@brett3862]

Jeff Ballantyne Well technically its an axe, but its a massive step from sharpening stones to metallurgy. Learn your history bub.

[@lotsofwoods]

Will do Brett.. thanks for the advice. Going to study history about axe/adze things..

[@brett3862]

Jeff Ballantyne A lot of stone age weapons are pretty high tech, look for examples from the Aztecs or other civilizations in that area, especially obsidian tools.