My 1st Ax

[rock]

Well I wish it could of been pretty but it isnt. I looked it up and its called a Pebble or Cobble ax would of come from the Woodland period which fits for where I found it at today. The write up on it said the Woodland period didnt peck their axes and many times just found a rock that looked close to what they needed and then notched them. There is a faint groove that hopefully you can see its a rough material. As I was walking the private creek I saw the notches and picked it up and said to myself well I guess I will hang onto it till it dries and see what it looks like then. Didnt look any better unfortunately I found it in the same creek as I found my Celt last year. I have found a few points in the creek and many broken pieces and a little cord marked pottery a couple of pieces. Its not a deep creek most of it is ankle deep but has a spring that connects to it. I will post a pic and I am sure some will think rock on it. I found 2 of them but the other was even uglier if you can believe that. I left the other for the owner to have hope they dont pitch it

 

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[NCPeaches]

I can see the groove you are talking about, nice find. I'm still looking for my first axe too.

 

[arrow86]

The second pic I think is the best shows groove , does it show better when wet ? May help some see it better

 

[scotto]

That rock MAY have been used as a net weight - but it is NOT an axe.

Most likely a geofact.

 

[choo]

Hey rock nice find its a crude ax but it's cool that you found it in a creek congrats!

 

[reuellis]

From the pics that is a hard sell...

 

[joshuaream]

That second picture really looks like groove to me, maybe a hammerstone? Do you see a bit or cutting edge?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Does appear from the pictures to have a grove, better pictures would help as cant tell if grove is same on back as front. I personally doubt it is an ax, more like a weight of some kind. Just my opinion.

 

[Charl]

There exists both notched weights as well as grooved weights. Usually, one would not see both notches and a groove on the same weight. But, in this case, the absence of any sign that a bit existed also causes me to lean in the direction of it being a weight. But I've been wrong before often enough....

 

[creekhunter]

Be hard to cut anything down with that, I have to agree with the others that it's probably a net weight.

 

[filmiracl]

I'd hate to find that because that one is really hard to tell. Maybe it's something, maybe it's not. You can clearly see a groove in the second photo, however, I'm leaning towards natural -- based on the photos. I don't see why they would go through the trouble of making a groove on that thing when I'm sure there were plenty of other rocks around (I don't believe whatever rope they had would be able to wear down a stone that way to be an unintentional groove.) Also, the groove looks to have the same texture as the non-grooved areas of the stone. I can say it's not an axe. It could be a weight... but I think it's natural. I could also be wrong!

 

[rock]

I can go with the weight idea due to I have never found one of them either so it could be. It does show some work but not a lot I will admit. We have a type here that many collectors call a Peanut Ax used like a war club or a finishing tool for a animal after it has been wounded for a kill wack. But I have seen some nice ones and have a couple of others that are just notched and no bit for cutting. Im not saying its a cutting tool by no means but does show some work maybe a preform. The material under the loop looks like a hard Sandstone matrix with Schist and I think Schist due to the garnets in the mix. I also see gold flakes in the stone tiny pieces that only the loop can pick up. Might have to get me a gold pan and have a look.

 

[arrow86]

Any chance of more pics ? Maybe a few profile pics and of the groove does it show better when wet ?

 

[jamus peek]

I see the notches and the groove. However i see no polish or pecking and grinding. Edit! Just notice you mentioned some axes from your area are not pecked. Either way those notches are convincing and hope for you it could be your first axe.

 

[jamus peek]

There exists both notched weights as well as grooved weights. Usually, one would not see both notches and a groove on the same weight. But, in this case, the absence of any sign that a bit existed also causes me to lean in the direction of it being a weight. But I've been wrong before often enough....

Hi Charl i have a few both grooved and notched netweights. I am really curious of the use of netweights. I know they were used as fishing weights and where i find them there were large salmon runs. Do you think they could have been used to catch fowl as well?

 

[Charl]

Hi Charl i have a few both grooved and notched netweights. I am really curious of the use of netweights. I know they were used as fishing weights and where i find them there were large salmon runs. Do you think they could have been used to catch fowl as well?

Hi Jamus. Well, bola stones have been interpreted as weights for use in snaring fowl. They could be grooved, or not.
Net weights are presumed to have been used for fishing with nets, and nothing like the narrows at a fish run to catch a lot of fish in short order. If one does not simply presume what their usage was, notched weights is the term, but most collectors just call them net weights. You'd expect them to be quickly fashioned.

Here's a on weights that might have been used on birds:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolas

 

[dognose]

its very small for an ax in that condition. most small axes I have found have been exhausted larger axes;ground/used down until very small. over 45 years I have found only 3 small axes found as likely made which would qualify as miniature axes. an ax that would fit in your hand shown in the photo would be an exhausted or miniature ax, which this does not appear to be from the photograph. The bit also appears more blunt than any ax I have found.
A weight of sort may be the case as others have said.

Here is an one of two axes I found in 2017, same day.

 

[rock]

Interesting stuff I know I saw something in it before I picked it up. After you look for a while in the elements you know when something just isnt rite and you can see the difference even altered just a bit and thats what I felt. I will see if I can find my other pics of some clubs I have found. These might of been nice when made but that was a long time ago, ha

 

[rock]

I have a couple and the brown one many have looked at it and have said "Club Head" collectors and 1 archy. Both ends are blunt and its made from pect wood

 

[rock]

This one some call it a Peanut Ax very worn Green Stone. It shows work on the ends