Primitive Technology

"The channel does not focus on historically accurate building techniques. It does not offer explanatory tutorials." As far as i can see from his blog[0] and YouTube channel[1] he does extensive research on the matter, logs and explains everything down the the centimeter. I see that the author comes from an Literature background, but in my opinion the author of this article should have done better research on Primitive Technology's author (and other great examples, Dick Proenneke[2] comes to mind first) and his methods, and not just stop at the FAQ in the About section of his channel. I would also have liked a quick mention about how this extremely popular YouTube channel doesn't have advertisement. [0](https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/) [1](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA) [2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke)

The kids and I binge-watched Primitive Technology [1][2], which is an Aussie guy who goes out to his land somewhere and does everything from scratch: building various shelters, fires, pottery, charcoal. It's brilliant. (And I wrote all this before noticing a sister comment mentioned it too.) Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls is also a favourite of my kids, although it does get a bit repetitive after a few episodes. Good to have on in the background while you're doing something else, and you can just look up if something interesting happens. For navigation skills, find your local orienteering or rogaining club and do some events. [1] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA Pro-tip: turn on captions to see explanations. [2] https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com

Primitive Technology shows this in every second video... he also shows you how to harvest the clay... https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/

I think the blog is dead: https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com The video descriptions and the pinned comment are also really information dense though. And John Plant, the guy running Primitive Technology, has published a book, which I've not read but could be of interest to people who like this kind of content and would like more of it in the text form.

Primitive Technology shows what techniques are possible for stone age hominids, albeit some ideas, like the blower forge, are likely inspired by modern inventions. But who knows what clever Neolithic hacks existed, until we dig them up. https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com

At a much lower level, HN readers may enjoy this guy's blog. https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/ He started out with stone tools (that he made himself) and is now up to the level of experimenting with smelting iron.

I'll just leave this here... https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com

Obligatory plug when discussing early/primitive human tech: https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/

By that argument nobody needs any money. Why pay rent when you can have https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/. Why pay for groceries when https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/sweet-potato-patc… feeds you just as well? We just "desire it"

Would you? Maybe it depends on how hard you have to struggle merely to survive and how much freedom you have. If you were a helot in ancient Sparta you'd have to be careful not to draw the attention of the Spartiates; they'd kill you for sport if they thought you were too virtuous. What is this about drilling into granite? The Egyptians were drilling into granite a thousand years earlier using copper tube drills and quartz sand, which they probably could have drilled a lot faster if they'd known about emery, but I don't understand where granite drilling fits into the steel supply chain. But with freedom and some way to survive you can get pretty far. In only four and a half years, apparently without using modern materials other than a video camera and writing instruments, John Plant was able to bootstrap from sticks and stones up to celt axes, coarse pants (spun of course with a drop spindle), a centrifugal blower, iron smelting powered by it, fired bricks, several huts, ceramic tile roofs, underfloor heating, cob construction, bow and arrow, atlatl, lime cement, wood ash cement, crawfish traps, rock-heated soup pots, charcoal burning, a pump drill, and a monjolo. He hasn't yet been able to smelt enough iron to make so much as a fishhook, though, and Australian law doesn't allow him to hunt animals for sinew, leather, catgut, bone, and bladder. A thing he's missing so far is metrology, which is very important for chemistry and for muskets and other machines. He…

He has another channel? Can you link? I found nothing: https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/about/ https://www.patreon.com/user/about?u=2945881

My understanding from his various posts online (and website [1]) is that he owns and lives near the land where the filming takes place. In Far North Queensland these sorts of areas would not be difficult to come across, not even far from a major town. He probably just walks or (more likely) drives home each day. [1] - https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/about/ : "Also It should be noted that I don’t live in the wild but just practice this as a hobby. I live in a modern house and eat modern food. I just like to see how people in ancient times built and made things." Insect-wise, Ross River Virus is a problem in that part of the country. It's spread by mosquito. You wouldn't catch me outside at night up there in summer, at least not without protection.

Indeed. He has two other (earlier) videos of him building gardens, one with cassava, which he says is a very high-output food source. He also notes "A person could potentially be nearly self-sufficient from a small plot of sweet potatoes." Presumably it should scale for a small group, since they could share the work. https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/planting-cassava-… https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/sweet-potato-patc…

Iron extraction is not very high tech after one has the know-how. But it took time to develop the knowledge. https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2016/07/29/forge-blower/

Perhaps they would be used in a cord drill or pump drill? https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2016/01/22/cord-drill-and-pu…

I had to read the description to figure out what it was he was trying to do: https://primitivetechnology.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/simplified-blower…