Welcome back in my travel diary that tells my adventure in the world of joinery .
If you haven’t read my first items you can do it here (Birth of the idea) and here (the Blog Program) to understand what’s my project .
When tackling a new topic is extremely necessary to go and see what’s happened in the history of this particular topic.
It will be an interesting and exciting journey!
It will make you think about the importance that has had the wood in the evolution of mankind and how much is important today for you, also if perhaps you don’t realize.
By reading this article you find out in how many ways wood can be useful for you!
It has improved our lives in so many aspects:
- Construction
- Food
- Hunting and fishing
- Agriculture
- Navigation
- Movements on Earth
- Socialization
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Music
- Literature and Poetry
- Communication
In fact this material is always present in a major way in our lives, even when we do not notice.
Think only to wooden boards with which we can create structures within which throw concrete to build our homes .
But first things first, because to understand the importance of wood in our lives, we must start from the beginning of our history.
BIRTH OF THE MAN-WOOD LINK
It seems trivial, but unfortunately we realize very little often:
Our life depends on wood.
More specifically, our life depends on plants that give us oxygen (as the main thing), food (like fruits, vegetables, seeds, grains, etc.) and building material .
Think about it: what was the first natural elements to give man his superiority over all other living beings?
No doubt the fire .
And there would be no fire without wood !
Thanks to it early humans were able to warm up , bake bread, meat and other foods to make them more tasty and digestible, keep away the wild beasts and other things that previously would never have achieved.
Not to mention the social benefits which resulted in bringing together groups around it.
IT HAS BEEN A TRUE REVOLUTION!
Another equally important function is the creation of weapons for hunting and fishing .
True, the first rudimentary weapons were well-polished and sharp stones, but it is only thanks to the wood that man has been able to create spears, axes, rods, traps, bows and arrows .
And when the human being, become sedentary, he dedicated to agriculture, other tools such as plows, sickles, shovels and hoes were always made from this material very workable and easy to find.
The permanence, however, brought another need: the home.
The first stilts and all other types of homes ( teepee , tents, huts etc) were made entirely, or exclusively in the structure , with wooden poles .
Next step was certainly the need to travel over water and the history of the craft is closely related to wood , floating material par excellence.
Then we have to think to wagons that were used to transport the goods before, and people then.
But the wood has not been solely a function of satisfaction of basic human needs.
In fact, Art is another area where the wood has played a crucial role.
Think about the simplest thing: the handle of a brush is made of wood (now there are many other materials).
Even the canvas on which we paint has a wooden frame . And the tripod on which it rests?
And the palette of the painter? Initially it was exclusively in wood (today there are also glass and plastic).
For a long time we painted on wooden boards and many sculptures were made by carving the finest essences creating masterpieces.
We would not be delighted by the sweet notes of a guitar, a violin or many other musical instruments if there was no wood .
Furthermore, the first stylus to engrave the first cuneiform writing was made of wood .
The paper we use every day to write, pack and clean comes from wood .
Today was even created a fabric made entirely of wood fiber used to made dresses, shoes, handbags and other accessories .
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
So it goes on and on, but what I’m interested in this article is not only a list of the countless possibilities, but to convey a message:
I LOVE WOOD!
Not only for its warmth, its flexibility, workability, and the wide range of grain, shades and colors, but also because it is part of my history of human being, and I owe to him much of the progress and the beauty that exist today!
If you are reading this article you certainly love the wood too.
Let me know why and what are your feelings about, commenting on this article!
Your opinion is very important to me and it will help me to give the right information for you in future articles.
Stay tuned because in the next appointments we’ll start to make practice.
Thank you, see you soon!
The Wood Blogger
