Questions tagged [stone]

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8 votes
2 answers
437 views

How fragile exactly are flint weapons? How much abuse can they take before breaking?

Obviously flint and similar stones are much more fragile than tool or weapon quality bronze and steel, but while writing I find I don't actually have any idea what this means in practice. I use steel ...
user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
4k views

Can stone weaponry be sharpened?

Is there a way to sharpen stone weapons? In a society with no metals whatsoever, which is therefore using stone for their weapons, can the cutting edges of those weapons be sharpened?
Joe Bernstein's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
643 views

The Emperor's Coffee House - how to build a neolithic steam engine?

This is a thought experiment that I had for a long time, and I would like to know if it is possible/feasible. Let's assume that we have a very powerful ancient emperor, who has an idea to harness the ...
Sonko's user avatar
  • 61
29 votes
8 answers
8k views

Would gears made of stone work?

I'm writing about a setting where the people have some advanced theoretical knowledge, but as yet limited manufacturing ability; in particular, they do not yet have metallurgy, but they are trying to ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 4,907
14 votes
8 answers
2k views

How to activate and deactivate a fire stone the easy way? [closed]

In a world similar set in renaissance times, there are natural occurring stones with the ability to produce flames. The more precious the stone, the higher and stronger quality of the flame/fire. Each ...
Ebi's user avatar
  • 887
28 votes
8 answers
10k views

Could Wasps and Ants reach the stone age?

In my world, a group of scientists prepare for the "inevitable" extinction of man by manufacturing* true, efficient, social(1) hive minds from Order Hymenoptera, specifically from the wasp waist ...
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33 votes
9 answers
9k views

How effective would a stone cannon be?

How effective would a cannon made of stone be? Would it actually fire? Would it still be usable after firing? Would it be as effective as a metal cannon? How thick would the walls of the cannon ...
Gryphon's user avatar
  • 10.9k