Although few objects survive due to the temporal nature of the material, woodcarving dates back to the beginning of civilization. Ancient peoples used simple tools to fashion utensils and sacred artifacts out of wood. Trees typically must be severed from the ground and the wood must be dried for a period of nine months to three years prior to being carved. At Weitzman Studios, Inc., all of the carving is done hand using a mallet and basic carving tools. Chisels, gauges, parting tools are struck with a mallet to carefully remove pieces of wood in a process called direct carving. Using these small tools, tons of wood are removed by hand. Occasionally, a chain-saw is used to eliminate large sections of wood. The remaining wood is always tooled by hand and finished with polishing tools.