1.1 THE OLDEST METHOD OF JOINING: USING NATURAL SHAPES AND FORMS

Our earliest ancestors doubtless lived off the land and were drawn by their necessity and driven by their resourcefulness to use what Nature provided. At first, however, they were also compelled by their ignorance to use whatever was provided in whatever form and shape it was provided. Surely they would have gripped a naturally-rounded stone in their hand to use as a hammer (Figure 1.1a). They probably even used this crude hammer as a weapon for killing animals for food and then used it to tenderize the meat and prepare the hind for use as clothing. With time, they learned they could hammer more efficiently by wedging such a round stone into the crotch of a three-pronged stick (see Figure 1.1b), gaining the mechanical advantage of a lever. And, thus, the earliest tool was born from the brain of the greatest tool-making species.

Figure 1.1: An artist's concept of how early humans may have evolved the design of a hammer and, then, an ax as they, themselves, evolved. A naturally-round stone held in the hand served as a hammer (a); a naturally-round stone wedged into a naturally-pronged stick created a more efficient hammer or club (b); a naturally-sharp or sharpened stone wedged into a split in a stick created an ax for use as a tool or a weapon (c); a sharpened stone wedged into a split in a stick was lashed into place for added durability (d); and...