Potential Axe Head or Tool found in NE Kansas

AndieM · Feb 5, 2020

Hello,

I found this artifact when we were building our house in NE Kansas. I first posted it on What Is It and the crew at first thought it was just a rock but then decided it might actually have been a North American Indian tool of some sort. It's about 4" tall and 2 5/8" wide.

What do you think?

Thank you,

Andie Moll

Tdog · Feb 5, 2020

It could be the remnants of a bow-tie axe as we would call them here in the south.

arrow86 · Feb 5, 2020

Yes 100% an artifact , looks like a full groove axe head and from the looks it was used a lot. It may have been longer originally but hard to tell that’s a really nice find it took 20 years of hunting before I found one. I would check that area again especially after a good rain there probably is more artifacts ..... probably not another axe but some points.

The Grim Reaper · Feb 6, 2020

arrow86 said:
Yes 100% an artifact , looks like a full groove axe head and from the looks it was used a lot. It may have been longer originally but hard to tell that’s a really nice find it took 20 years of hunting before I found one. I would check that area again especially after a good rain there probably is more artifacts ..... probably not another axe but some points.

I have to respectfully disagree.

Why would someone go to all the trouble of putting a groove into what looks to be a very dense stone full of quartz crystals and then do nothing to the Poll or Bit ends? I know it could be unfinished but if you zoom in there is no evidence of pecking or grinding in the groove and if it was a preform those attributes would still be evident.

Also, if it was an actual Tool it shows no evidence from what I can see in your pictures of use wear on what would be considered the Bit end.

Without holding it im going to have to go with just an oddly eroded stone and natural.

A2coins · Feb 6, 2020

Everytime I see something like this I think Indians weren't all great tool makers I'd hate to see an arrowhead or axe I tried to make so just because it's not an obvious artifact it all depends on who made it lol

Thirdeyeartifactguy · Feb 6, 2020

Looks natural. Before I became more educated on the subject I would have thought it was an artifact. Just like anything its a process of learning.

arrow86 · Feb 6, 2020

The Grim Reaper said:
I have to respectfully disagree.

Why would someone go to all the trouble of putting a groove into what looks to be a very dense stone full of quartz crystals and then do nothing to the Poll or Bit ends? I know it could be unfinished but if you zoom in there is no evidence of pecking or grinding in the groove and if it was a preform those attributes would still be evident.

Also, if it was an actual Tool it shows no evidence from what I can see in your pictures of use wear on what would be considered the Bit end.

Without holding it im going to have to go with just an oddly eroded stone and natural.

The 3rd pic looks like the groove has been pecked into that shape especially the right side , but you bring up some good points it does look like the wrong type of stone with all those inclusions

Treasure_Hunter · Feb 6, 2020

The Grim Reaper said:
I have to respectfully disagree.

Why would someone go to all the trouble of putting a groove into what looks to be a very dense stone full of quartz crystals and then do nothing to the Poll or Bit ends? I know it could be unfinished but if you zoom in there is no evidence of pecking or grinding in the groove and if it was a preform those attributes would still be evident.

Also, if it was an actual Tool it shows no evidence from what I can see in your pictures of use wear on what would be considered the Bit end.

Without holding it im going to have to go with just an oddly eroded stone and natural.

I agree with Grim too... Bit end looks natural.