Stone Ax

Don Lewis

Jr. Member
Apr 28, 2024
79
190

Attachments

  • IMG_6927.jpeg
    IMG_6927.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 95
Upvote 20
OP
OP
D

Don Lewis

Jr. Member
Apr 28, 2024
79
190
IMG_3708.jpeg


Resized_20230204_110847.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • Resized_20230204_110905.jpeg
    Resized_20230204_110905.jpeg
    91.6 KB · Views: 21
  • Resized_20230204_110921.jpeg
    Resized_20230204_110921.jpeg
    508.5 KB · Views: 19
  • Resized_20230204_113248.jpeg
    Resized_20230204_113248.jpeg
    652.7 KB · Views: 27
  • 69723292451__71662C97-41BD-4206-A36A-9AF6DB58C446.jpeg
    69723292451__71662C97-41BD-4206-A36A-9AF6DB58C446.jpeg
    1 MB · Views: 32
  • 69723805371__84E761CB-E010-4307-86DE-57B930551442.jpeg
    69723805371__84E761CB-E010-4307-86DE-57B930551442.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 33
  • IMG_3698.jpeg
    IMG_3698.jpeg
    5.6 KB · Views: 36
  • IMG_3700.jpeg
    IMG_3700.jpeg
    227.1 KB · Views: 31
  • IMG_2322.jpeg
    IMG_2322.jpeg
    106.7 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_4076.jpeg
    IMG_4076.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 31
OP
OP
D

Don Lewis

Jr. Member
Apr 28, 2024
79
190
Sorry about all the other pictures. Not sure how I messed that up. Yes this has a groove all the way around. You never know where you might find a stone ax or an arrow head. I was very surprised when I spotted this ax. Just didn’t expect to find anything along this stream. You have to wonder how many people walked right by that stone ax over the yesrs.
 

DirtyHandsCleanPoints

Full Member
Mar 30, 2024
155
425
Sorry about all the other pictures. Not sure how I messed that up. Yes this has a groove all the way around. You never know where you might find a stone ax or an arrow head. I was very surprised when I spotted this ax. Just didn’t expect to find anything along this stream. You have to wonder how many people walked right by that stone ax over the yesrs.
Yeah it’s definitely an easy one to pass by for the untrained eye glad you scored it that would be a year maker for me. Here’s a few of mine and a polished Celt
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7694.jpeg
    IMG_7694.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 27
  • IMG_7708.jpeg
    IMG_7708.jpeg
    1,009.9 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_7846.jpeg
    IMG_7846.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 29
  • IMG_7849.jpeg
    IMG_7849.jpeg
    927.5 KB · Views: 30

CreekSide

Silver Member
Jan 31, 2023
2,674
7,542

DirtyHandsCleanPoints

Full Member
Mar 30, 2024
155
425
This is very interesting. I have one of these like you posted. It was found it in SW MO in a creek where we were quarrying knapping flint. I never knew what it was and didn’t realize it was a finished artifact.
I learn something new every day on Tnet! View attachment 2146561
View attachment 2146562 View attachment 2146563
Dang them are some twins I’m in north western corner of Arkansas not too awful far. see a lot of similarities between Missouri artifacts but I haven’t seen another flint axe that’s a sweet one. I’m not positive what all my others are made from but it’s some kind of hard stone.
 

ToddsPoint

Gold Member
Mar 2, 2018
5,484
13,505
Todds Point, IL
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Mississippian period had a one bit ax but I’m assuming it also worked great for a hoe
I have two mill creek hoes and they both have phytolith gloss on the bits from working plants. This thing has no gloss on the bit but I did notice the highest ridge on the small end is very polished. I think it was hafted somehow.
 

CreekSide

Silver Member
Jan 31, 2023
2,674
7,542
I have two mill creek hoes and they both have phytolith gloss on the bits from working plants. This thing has no gloss on the bit but I did notice the highest ridge on the small end is very polished. I think it was hafted somehow.
Maybe they are the transition from the ax to the Celt which would probably date somewhere around middle to late archaic
 

ToddsPoint

Gold Member
Mar 2, 2018
5,484
13,505
Todds Point, IL
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Maybe they are the transition from the ax to the Celt which would probably date somewhere around middle to late archaic
You might be on to something. These flint “axes” would likely have been jammed in a hole in a tree branch handle. Similar to the way a Celt was hafted. Maybe a cruder predecessor? These things are new to me and I’ll have to dig deeper. They’re not something we have locally.
 

DirtyHandsCleanPoints

Full Member
Mar 30, 2024
155
425
You might be on to something. These flint “axes” would likely have been jammed in a hole in a tree branch handle. Similar to the way a Celt was hafted. Maybe a cruder predecessor? These things are new to me and I’ll have to dig deeper. They’re not something we have locally.
Luckly I’ve spent a lot of time researching axes and especially in my area and we’re only a handful of hours apart so should be similar information. But about 2 miles from my house there was a bluff shelter excavation in the 30s by a feller doing a whole project on bluff shelters along my main local creek that is basically a smalll river all year long. The closest site to my house provided over 200 artifacts including grains still preserved, woven baskets, points and pottery re studied the finds in the 80s and we get an image of a perfectly preserved hafted axe in same style as mine and all of mine have came from the same creek as the bluff project. They were almost certainly multi tools for digging but absolutely cut wood as well as whatever else they used it for. As a carpenter I can tell you I use a hammer for 100s of things other than hitting a nail.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2298.png
    IMG_2298.png
    195.1 KB · Views: 12
  • 73354500697__7C3EFBA8-A1D1-4C56-82E1-AA5B7ADADDAC.jpeg
    73354500697__7C3EFBA8-A1D1-4C56-82E1-AA5B7ADADDAC.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 13
  • IMG_7849.jpeg
    IMG_7849.jpeg
    927.5 KB · Views: 12

DirtyHandsCleanPoints

Full Member
Mar 30, 2024
155
425
You might be on to something. These flint “axes” would likely have been jammed in a hole in a tree branch handle. Similar to the way a Celt was hafted. Maybe a cruder predecessor? These things are new to me and I’ll have to dig deeper. They’re not something we have locally.
The report does mention the cordage and material would have rotted way after “thousands of years” in the ground that lands us somewhere in the late archaic id say. Can’t prove it though
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top