Knocking down acorns: the survival of prehistoric harvesting technique in the mediterranean fores
Abstract
The knocking down is one of the stages of acorn harvesting, used as a supplement to human diet from prehistoric times. It consists in shaking tree branches with the help of a long and flexible wooden pole.
Due to both the use of perishable materials, there is no evidence for this tool in the archaeological record. The lack of archaeological evidence for this practice can be compensated for with information derived both from the study of certain prehistoric art scenes and from the ethnographic record. Thus, the article analyses various examples, from Neolithic to current times, which show the endurance of this millenary practice, typical of agricultural societies in Mediterranean Europe.
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