EDITORIAL

Thirteen years ago, the three Editors visited
Bulgaria, following a conference of the In-
ternational Association of Agricultural Mu-
seums in Budapest. Our guide for part of the
journey was the late Professor Christo Vak-
arelski. Wherever we stopped, hospitality
was showered upon us. In one town - after
we had been discussing techniques of har-
vesting with hand-tools - Christo spoke to
an inhabitant, who went off. We waited,
chatting in the hot sun, not entirely sure of
what was happening. Soon a lady appeared,
carrying a brown paper bag. In it were sever-
al examples of the palamarka, a wooden de-
vice fitted to the hand to protect the fingers
and extend the reach during harvesting with
the sickle. We were fascinated to see these,
and thought we might be able to buy one for
a few stotinki. Not a bit of it - the whole
bagful was pressed upon us, and now
museums in Scotland and Denmark are well
supplied with examples of the Bulgarian
palamarka. Little wonder, then, that we feel
a special pleasure in publishing the article by
Jutta Meurers-Balke and Charlotte Loen-
necken on this topic. Hand and finger pro-
tectors are amongst the small little-noticed
adjuncts that are often found in relation to
main processes, yet the present study shows
a variety and range of adaptations to func-
tional needs that gives them much signifi-
cance in ethnological studies.
For once, the contents of this issue stick to
Europe only, though this is not to say we are
setting a precedent. Future issues will con-
tinue to view the rest of the world and bring

fresh material from every country into the
scholastic melting pot. We are glad to see
that earlier material in Tools and Tillage is
being used as in H. C. Dosedla’s follow-up
with reference to Austria, of the late Fran-
tisek Sack’s typology of ploughs in the area
of Central Europe.
Through Johan David’s closely detailed
study of spade cultivation in Flanders, we
gain new viewpoints on a topic that has for
long been a matter of interest to the Editors.
We should like to see many more such con-
tributions, from other areas, so that we can
begin to understand better how tools,
techniques of use, climate, soil and crops in-
tegrate.
The new element in this issue is J. Troels-
Smith’s palaeobotanical approach. We never
fail to be impressed by the detailed length to
which Troels-Smith presses his studies, so
that we can proceed to interpret the evidence
of early sites with a new breadth of real un-
derstanding. It is not our intention to devote
space in the journal to palaeobotanical
studies other than when it can be shown to
throw light on the matters with which the
journal is concerned, but we wish neverthe-
less, by the present example, to reinforce our
view of the need for scholars to be fully
aware of the importance of such approaches.
With this Editorial, we introduce the first
part of our fifth volume. We look to you,
scholars young and old, to continue to pro-
vide us with the high quality material to
which readers have become accustomed.