Stone-age Arrow Points and the Meaning of Sabbath

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clippercarrillo's avatar
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In order to see the subject of this essay, and to understand it better, please see the photograph of Neolithic and Paleolithic arrow-heads featured on my page. Then read on.

The finer crafted point is 10,000 years old, while the more crude is 5,000 years old, and would not fly as well, although that later point would effect a wider cut.

The older would fly much better and would require much more accuracy in order to be as lethal.

There is more art in the manufacture of the older point, and there would have been more skill required in shooting it, or, if you will, more art.

Were I to post a photo of a modern "Eskimo" broad-head, you would see an arrow-head made of steel, resembling in shape and size the later stone-age point, with an equal sharpness, imbued with the advantage of advanced metallurgy and factory manufacture. This head has no art attached at all.

So what we see over the course of ten thousand years is the decrease in art that humans have put into a thing that has a single purpose.

My argument is that once we recognize this evolution, we can and should each pay attention to restoring the degree of heart that we invest into each moment of our lives, knowing that unrecognized forces are trying to strip value from the vital things we do.

The maker of the Paleolithic point was putting spiritual capital into the activity of his life, as was the user who shot the arrow.

If we do not make the same investment, are we not robbing God of worship, who made and owns all things? I think that points to the very meaning of Sabbath, and the absolute calling of our lives.
© 2012 - 2024 clippercarrillo
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pearwood's avatar
Hum. Art and function. If I needed to hunt to eat, I would probably go for the less artful tip, but for hunting with a camera, I'll carry the Yashica-D or Welta Weltur, thank you.

But, horrors, I also hunt with a Holga, which about as far from artfully made as is humanly possible. But, confound it, sometimes it captures the divine art better than anything else.

The union of art and function is always an approximation, as are mercy and justice, at least for us blundering humans.