Opinions on Neolithic / slave killer axe. Modern or real?

[longbowdude]

Hi all. This item is up for auction soon. I am sure it would need to be examined in hand to be for sure but does this look modern or real?

Also if not an axe.. what is it?

This is the only pic I currently have. It is jagged and broken off on the left side.

 

[southfork]

Is that a seam down the middle ? Looks like a casting ?

 

[newnan man]

Run Forrest run!

 

[arrow86]

Just based on never seeing anything like that before it would make me worried .... the seller didn’t provide any info ?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

It does look like what is called a slave killer but with out seeing it first hand or a lot better pictures it is impossible to tell if it is real or fake. I would never buy it sight unseen myself..... Just my opinion.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Where is it from? What is the material? What size is it? Hard to tell anything from just one picture but my gut says stay away.

 

[longbowdude]

It was an estate auction in Ohio. There was no history on it. Thats how most Estate auctions go. The auctioneer had no clue what it was and called it a whale tooth thing.

I got a good deal on it so its mine now real or repro. Here are more photos. Its very heavy stone.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HfqFkDG0DDcfS_ERSsY0BwDVsKJ-x2rk?usp=sharing

 

[welsbury]

There are slave killers found on the Columbia River that look similar to that one,but that one doesn't look old.

 

[AlabamaRelic]

How much did you pay?

It was an estate auction in Ohio. There was no history on it. Thats how most Estate auctions go. The auctioneer had no clue what it was and called it a whale tooth thing.

I got a good deal on it so its mine now real or repro. Here are more photos. Its very heavy stone.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HfqFkDG0DDcfS_ERSsY0BwDVsKJ-x2rk?usp=sharing

 

[unclemac]

well, it is a classic slave killer. If it is real it is worth a small fortune. We can't athenticate it here but you do need it looked at by a professional.

 

[joshuaream]

Monolithic (spellcheck likes to change to Neolithic) “slave killer” axe or club.

I’ve handled a few authentic examples over the years in museum collections, and my first impression is that yours is a more recent copy. Hard to say why exactly, but it looks “faceted” like you get with cut stone and grinders.

The tricky part about those clubs is many weren’t buried, they were handed down and then sold/obtained. They usually won’t have typical patina and deposits. Your average authenticator looking for the right deposits should kill it. Provenance and pictures are the best way to identify them. (Show that they were around in the 1920’s.)

Your best bet in Ohio is to send it to Bennett’s and ask them to look for modern grinding marks. A lack of patina, or greasy patina might be right for old examples and be red flags for other relics. Also identify the material, there are only a couple of types of correct options for those.

 

[unclemac]

....and get back to us and let us know too....