The energy invested and the risks our ancestors went through to hunt an animal using primitive weapons of short range justified on their own the imperative not to waste any part of this animal. But in addition to the feeling of extraordinary gratitude that our ancestors must have felt at the prospect of a great meal, it is very likely that the precious resource of raw materials provided by the body of this animal for lighting, dressing, tools or ornamentation appeared to be have been inestimable wealth.

Have you ever wondered how our ancestors prepared, transformed and preserved the different parts of an animal after hunting so that nothing was lost?

This course offers you the opportunity to reappropriate these techniques. It aims to introduce you to which parts are useful for which crafts or for consumption and how to preserve them until they can be used.

We will use tools from the Stone Age and the Iron Age.

Price per person: €380

Have you ever wondered what happens to the parts of an animal which don’t make it onto your grocery store shelves? This course covers some options for using those parts!

This course will introduce you to what parts of an animal are useful for what products and how to preserve those parts until they can be used. We will cover what parts of an animal are useful for what products and how to preserve those parts until they can be used. Multiple levels of technologies from stone to steel will be covered!

Some examples of what will be covered in the course are as follows:

-Organs: Removing, sorting and cleaning the edible organs as well as the utilitarian ones such as: brains for tanning the skin, the bladder for water bags and intestines for thread.

-Skin: Removing the skin, de-fleshing and preserving the skin for later and the making of hide glue

-Meat: Removing the meat, what cuts are best suited to different uses. How to debone, make roasts, jerky and soup meat. Basic meat preservation.

-Fat: How to render fat to preserve it.

-Bones: How to separate joints, bones as food, how to make tools from bones such as: skin processing tools, awls and needles, fishhooks, harpoon and arrow points, and jewellery.

-Sinew: How to remove, clean and preserve both backstrap and leg sinew and how to later process it for fibre for sewing, bowstrings, hafting, bow backing etc.

-Hooves: How to process the hooves for decorative items or for hoof glue.

-Antlers: If antlers are present how to remove them, and a discussion on how best to work with antler.

The length of the course will allow us to cover a wide range of introductory subjects but will not allow for the completion of finished projects. This course and the content covered will evolve based on time, weather, and participant interests!

Additional Information:

Duration: 3 days (Friday 10:00 am - Sunday ± 17:00 pm)

Group size: Min 6 - Max 12

Prerequisites: None

Catering:

Accommodation:

Location:

Included: All course materials and coffee/tea

Not included: Accomodation, meals