On the first day of the new module, Archaeology, taught by Dr. Sonia Harmand and Dr. Lisa Hildebrand, the students went down to the Turkwel River to experience first hand how stone tools can be used, and are still used today by the Turkana people to peel Doum Palm Nuts.
Students collecting nuts from a tree
First step was to collect the nuts from the trees. The Turkana children demonstrated their expertise by throwing stones at the nut clusters and making them cascade down onto the ground, while other students tried their luck by beating the clusters with long branches.
The second step was to go out to the outcrops nearby and search for suitable hammerstones and anvils for the job.
The Turkana children gather round the students for a demonstration
The third and final step was to try and peel the nuts using the tools the students collected. The Turkana children proved to be very good at it and showed the students how it should be done. Once the nuts were peeled some students attempted to crack them using larger hammerstones; But to no avail, they were too tough!
One of the Turkana girls shows Luisa how it’s done
Chelsea, Amna, Luisa and Vaishnavi get cracking
Lucy and Catherine have a go at peeling the nuts while Evelyn and Patrick taste the fruit. It’s clearly not Evelyn’s cup of tea.
And finally Nyete, Chris and Kat test their nut-processing skills too
