Stone Cherokee ax ???

[dragon725]

Today I was in the woods in Tennessee looking around for a sassafras tree to dig up so I could make some tea for my wife. Then a stone laying on the ground caught my eye I noticed it looked like a ax head. Then after a second glance I could see the leather straps holding the ax and the handle together. Then as careful as I could I lifted the ax off the ground then I noticed that termites had almost eaten the entire ax handle. Here are the pics I took in the hopes that somebody could give me some sort of ID on it.

 

[steif]

Well, I wouldn't rule out a original handle so fast, it will just have to be dated if you feel like it.
there was a artifact found in this area (central Indiana) in the late 1970's that was a small stone axe head with the complete handle and in good shape. and also I have seen several that were found in the last 50 years or so that have handles as well. and all those were original Indian made as well. one thing to keep in mind, the Indian population in some areas was active till the 1850's or even 60's in areas of the east not counting reservations and the like.
if it happened to be buried in some clay or silt when dropped, and it was in a low oxygen environment it would last for many hundreds or even thousands of years.... then uncovered by something either by erosion or animal in the last few years... you never know how stuff gets brought up..
And the method of putting the handle on was a popular way of doing that, finding a green branch of hickory, maple or willow... or whatever was native to the area. Possibly it was carved to shape then steamed or boiled to make it pliable, then bent around the axe, then wound with green or fresh cut rawhide, the rawhide, when dried would have been darn near impossible to tear or bust loose.
So in short, it could very well be a original Indian made handle on a very nice axe... I've seen one from this area in person that was....

 

[DigEmAll]

Ok... stone axes in the southeast went out with the advent of early trade with the settlers and trappers. That'd be around 1800 in Tennessee. The head looks authentic, I have a couple like that. The handle is correct for that type of head. Take the wood of twice the needed length, split it down the length and fold it over the head. It would then be seized with animal sinew... not leather... and covered with pitch. Sinew and pitch will survive a long time, but not wood and leather... not for 200 years. I could see it lasting that long in arid and semi arid regions such as west Texas out to California.

I'd say kid's repo for Gatlinburg or Cherokee North Carolina. It'd take too much effort to rehaft it for kicks and who in their right mide would do that to a real stone ax?

Long story short... have it carbon 14 tested to find the age of the wood.

Either way... killer find.

 

[dragon725]

Does anyone know of a company that I could send the ax head and a piece of the handle to. So I could get it tested for authenticity threw carbon testing or other methods. The only place I could find was this place http://www.artifactgrading.com/authentication.htm. And I dont know if the company is respectable or not.

I don't know if this is some kids repo or not from Gatlinburg or Cherokee North Carolina. But I do know that no kids have been on my property in the last 30 years I have lived here. The only things that I know of are my cattle and a few tornado's that have passed bye over the years and my nearest neighbor is 12 miles away.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Take it to UT. I'm sure they would be happy to do it. Call first though, most professors are in and out and it is much better to talk to them in person.

 

[Ramitt]

you might email or call this guy.
http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/faculty/anderson.html

Dr. David G. Anderson, Associate Professor and Associate Head .....Research Interests

Eastern U.S. prehistoric and historic archaeology, archaeological method and theory, heritage resource management/public archaeology, development of cultural complexity, colonization and migration