Looks Like a War Club

[drd777]

Hi - I am a new member but I found this in my backyard in Montana about 45 years ago. I have kept it displayed on a shelf but never really knew what it is; it looks like a war club or grain smasher? Any ideas?

 

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[mainejman]

Looks to me like a full groove axehead.She's a beauty.Axeheads are definetly one of the most elusive artifacts for me to find.Nice to see some stuff from gods country.I used to live in billings and I wished I never left.thanks for the view.

 

[grobb28]

Hi - I am a new member but I found this in my backyard in Montana about 45 years ago. I have kept it displayed on a shelf but never really knew what it is; it looks like a war club or grain smasher? Any ideas?

In not a pro but I don't think it's axe head it looks a lot more like it was made to be used for smashing grain JMO

 

[mainejman]

More like a brainsmasher maybe.Just my opinion but that's some definte overkill for smashing grain.Any old rock would do for that.This particular artifact was mounted on a handle and used for much heavier work than grain crushing like chopping of trees.They are found I believe all across the U.S. just not by me....

 

[GatorBoy]

That's a grooved axe. Nice one too.

 

[GaRebel1861]

Looks to me like a grooved ax head as well. And I might add that it is a very nice one too!

 

[larson1951]

how thick is it?
let's see a view of each end please
what is the length?

 

[GatorBoy]

I think I know what you're thinking.
Does it have to do with horses Larson?

 

[drd777]

Axe

It is exactly 6 inches long. Here is top picture.

 

[GatorBoy]

Believe it or not things like that were used to keep horses from straying when there was no sturdy object to tie them too. I would imagine it's eventual purpose was to be an axe when the bit was ground to an edge.a photo of the other end would be nesesary to see if a bit has been added and whether or not it shows use wear.

 

[larson1951]

I think I know what you're thinking.
Does it have to do with horses Larson?

no i don't think it's a horse tether but.......

i know what you mean as i have some horse tethers
i think i once told about he display in the basement of the catholic church at fort yates standing rock sioux res and we were working on the roof
there were over a hundred of them in a 30 foot long glass case
Brother Mark told us to go downstairs and look at them
when we were looking at them his very old secretary came and told that about half of what we were looking at were horse tethers and we could tell the difference
between them and the hammers as the tethers were showing a lot of polish from being drug on the grass but the hammers were beat up on the ends
around here the round grooved hammers were used by the women in constructing earth lodges and also used for breaking bufalo and elk bones to get at the marrow


i was thinking the piece posted above is a grooved hammer rather than an axe which is why i wanted to see each end

 

[old digger]

It is a club that was hafted to a handle, and was used in killing (finishing off) the buffalo after they went over the cliff at a buffalo jump. Also buffalo were herded onto larger patches of ice and bludgeoned.

 

[Doodle Bug]

I'm thinking a prototype flux capacitor!


"The Earth is saturated with history, all we need to do is extract it." - Doodle Bug

 

[arrowman]

This artifact is called a maul which is basically a prehistoric sledge hammer. It's a beauty!

 

[mainejman]

I stand corrected.once I saw the business end you can tell its no axe.This is a fine example of the right picture angle making all the difference.I've seen a lot of axes. NOT ONE OF THESE.Great piece

 

[drd777]

Better end & side pictures of

 

[GatorBoy]

I just want to throw this out there
Knowing how resourceful The natives were.. And how little they wasted It seems likely to me That something like that Would have started out As a bell pestle.. then repurposed into a maul.. and could have yet been repurposed into an axe.

 

[rock]

Hand Maul and a nice one.

 

[drd777]

I Think This Is What It Is??

I have spent hours Googling for something that looks like my stone, here is my best match.
It seems to be a Pukamoggran tomahawk used the the Comanche and Shoshone ; 3 foot handle with a 2 to 3 pound stone head.

 

[IlliniGuy]

As others have said it is a grooved maul.