Pemmican -- how was it prepared without metal tools?
The wikipedia article states that "The meat was cut in thin slices and dried, ...".
Well so, but how would the people who chased a heard of grazers down a cliff some 10k years ago cut the meat into thin slices to dry?
I have difficulties cutting meat into thin slices even with modern high performance steel knives.
What am I missing?
Best Answer
You are missing the tiny detail that metal is not the only material which can provide sharp, cutting edges.
The reason the Stone Age got its name was the use of stone for tools. Both flint stone and obsidian, a volcanic glass can splinter with razor-sharp edges. Both the raw material and the tools made from them were highly prized goods and mined and traded in prehistoric times.
Even today, obsidian scalpels are still used for some surgical procedures, especially in cosmetic surgery. What works for a face lift in Hollywood should easily be good enough for pemikan - not that I'm comparing the two tasks.
Failing to obtain the stones, bone knifes from long leg bones would also have been able to handle the task of cutting thin meat strips quite smoothly.
Not for the squeamish:
This Youtube video shows the butchering of a deer with a simple, hand made obsidian "knife".
This video compares a flint and a bone knife.
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How was pemmican traditionally made?
Traditionally, pemmican was prepared from the lean meat of large game such as bison, elk, deer, or moose. The meat was cut in thin slices and dried, either over a slow fire or in the hot sun until it was hard and brittle.How did the Metis make pemmican?
M\xe9tis travelled onto the prairie in Red River carts (carts constructed entirely of wood and lashed together with leather), killed and butchered bison, converted the meat into pemmican, and shipped it in bags to such fur trading posts as Fort Alexander, Cumberland House, Fort Garry, Norway House and Edmonton House.What is pemmican and how is it made?
pemmican, dried meat, traditionally bison (moose, caribou, deer, or beef can be used as well), pounded into coarse powder and mixed with an equal amount of melted fat, and occasionally saskatoon berries, cranberries, and even (for special occasions) cherries, currants, chokeberries, or blueberries.How was pemmican stored?
Pemmican is an old Native American method for preserving meat and fish. Pemmican is made by mixing powdered meat and fruits with tallow and being left to cool and harden. The best way to store pemmican is at room temperature in a dark, dry place.Pemmican - The Ultimate Survival Food
More answers regarding pemmican -- how was it prepared without metal tools?
Answer 2
Flint and obsidian tools can be surprisingly sharp, but the main factor is probably that there's no need for tidy slices. Little shavings would dry quickly in the sun and as the meat was to be processed further, it wouldn't matter that the pieces were small. In addition, some pounding could have been done to make small chunks flatter.
If the meat was dried over a fire, the air may have been warm enough to affect bacterial growth; smoke would also have helped. Fire-assisted drying could have worked on thicker slices because the heat would be reliable including at least some of overnight, and hotter than in the sun. Presumably sun drying would only have been done in reliably warm conditions, when drying would have happened quickly. In either case the surface temperature could well have been high enough to inhibit growth of nasties even if not hot enough to truly pasteurise.
So while traditional methods and tools may not meet modern hygiene standards they could still be good enough, especially if failure could be detected. Assuming the fat was melted before mixing, a further pasteurisation-like step would take place.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Maria Orlova, Anete Lusina, Anete Lusina