This primitive skills 2-day course is an excellent opportunity to learn what is available from an animal’s carcass other than just the meat and has been described as ‘a real Stone Age awakening’.

 

The hunter-gatherers of the past would have recognised that a hunted animal could provide a vast range of possibilities beyond the feast it provided.

 

During this course, you will learn how to butcher a deer, tan the hide, prepare pemmican, make cordage from the tendons and – with the aid of flint tools such as scrapers and burins – you will create artefacts that were used during the Stone Age.  Some typical items are shown in the picture below:

Day one will involve the segmentation of the deer, which will be cooked over the open fire and enjoyed for lunch. Some of the meat will be dried and used for pemmican, and the tendons will be separated and dried in preparation for cordage.  The hide of the deer will be prepared for tanning.

 

As we move into the evening we will take time to appreciate the landscape the deer has come from, and present ourselves to the land as hunters would have done – thus truly entering into the mindset of our ancient ancestors. Dinner and relaxation around the campfire will round off the day before camping on-site.

 

Day two will see us making cordage from the tendons, completing the tanning of the hide and, with the help of flint tools, we will move into creating ancient items and tools from the bones.  Lunch will again be cooked over the open fire.

 

The course brings this time period to life in a most valuable and resourceful way, as you begin to not only understand the time taken to produce small and effective life essentials, but it helps us to value how the whole animal can be consumed and honoured for the life that has been taken.

 

This course is available for £120 per person where you will have a truly memorable experience and make some new friends during your time with us.

 

The course begins at 9.30am on day 1 and ends at 4.30pm on day 2.