Grooved Celt
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NC field hunter
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Looks like a 1/2 grooved axe to me. I have a similar one from NC. Mine is full grooved. I may be wrong, but I thought any grooved piece was considered an axe. Here is mine.
The center one. These are the only grooved pieces I have found.
GatorBoy
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They were all "axe heads" if describing their function. The way they were made changed over time....eventually eliminating the groove and creating more of a wedge shape to tightly haft without the need for a groove and speed up production time.
That's a real cool transition piece.
Did you guys know that when hafting a true celt..the hole was shaped in such a way that only the top and bottom of the celt made contact with the inside of the hole? If the sides touched it would split the handle.
That's a real cool transition piece.
Did you guys know that when hafting a true celt..the hole was shaped in such a way that only the top and bottom of the celt made contact with the inside of the hole? If the sides touched it would split the handle.
Charl
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NC field hunter
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I have read the same about only the top and bottom touching in the haft. I have also read that a little slippage was desired for extra impact. The slippage sounds off to me, but if you read enough you will come across many thoughts on the hafting process. Axe heads are the coolest of all artifacts!!!
GatorBoy
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A couple interesting links...that lithicslab site is kinda hokey to me. They even State that the example they showed of a hafted celt was not found while Hafted. The persnon who found the handle stuck it into it himself. He did a really bad job too.. splitting the handle and tearing up an artifact. I tend to go with archaeological reports of actual finds.
NC field hunter
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This piece reminds me of a large 8 pound Celt that I found. I posted it a while back and was told it was probably an axe preform. I tumbled that around for awhile and thought, no. That's like the old "which came first the chicken or the egg" saying. Axe preform is a Celt, if what I have is in fact an axe preform. I don't think that's the case though.
GatorBoy
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A celt is not an axe perform. They were made in two different time periods. Both were started with different end results in mind. A celt is a finished tool...same as a grooved axe is.
Concidering the fact you find grooved axes where you hunt ...your piece is likely an axe perform.
Concidering the fact you find grooved axes where you hunt ...your piece is likely an axe perform.
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NC field hunter
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That piece gets prettier every time I see it. About the preform, I'm not denying that they exist. It just seems to me that the notion of the groove being unnecessary would have struck someone much earlier than it did. I think the original poster has, as you mentioned, a transitional piece.
bravowhiskey
Bronze Member
Hey quito...That celt looked pretty good flat on, but when you turned it sideways it really took on a whole new persona. Beauty!
ditto on yours GB.
ditto on yours GB.
Get-the-point
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Very nice piece...always love a flawless artifact..... Good save quito............GTP
OP
OP
quito
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"Looks like a 1/2 grooved axe to me. I have a similar one from NC. Mine is full grooved. I may be wrong, but I thought any grooved piece was considered an axe."
You have some nice axes there.
This one IS full grooved too. A celt is different than an axe as has been explained. Many people have both celts and axes, but not to many have a celt that has been modified for halfting. Celts just look like this one, and axes commonly look just like yours, and they don't look the same. I can't explain why, I can just show whats what.
You have some nice axes there.
This one IS full grooved too. A celt is different than an axe as has been explained. Many people have both celts and axes, but not to many have a celt that has been modified for halfting. Celts just look like this one, and axes commonly look just like yours, and they don't look the same. I can't explain why, I can just show whats what.
GatorBoy
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It is hard to describe the difference but most Celts are flattened on the top and bottom sides to fit snugly in an opening whearas most axe heads are rounded and tapered because that wasn't necessary because of the groove.
NC field hunter
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Im with you! Although Celt and axe are used for the same task, presence of a groove, be it full, 1/2, or 3/4, it's an axe. Never have read any different. The wedge shape is commonly seen on full grooved archaic axes. As well as the others, not calling any one wrong, just saying I'm set in my way on this one.
GatorBoy
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Like I mentioned.. there was a transition from one way of hafting to the other.. they are all the same thing... just like a different style of projectile point can show it's age so too with the axe and celt.
It's no different than notches or not on a projectile point.
There's no "way" to be set in... just the presence of mind to acknowledge the change in hafting style and how it effected manufacture.
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