Grooved Stone Axes

Grooved Stone Axes

Artifacts

These grooved stone axes come from a site in King George county on the northern Coastal Plain. The smooth axes are examples of ground stone technology, which first appeared during the Late Archaic period. This method of tool production involved pecking and grinding the stone down to shape instead of chipping the stone away, as the other examples in this photo were made. Once finished, the axe would have been hafted to a wooden handle, which decomposed over time. Ground stone tools were repaired by flaking. Archaeologists can use microscopes to see use-wear patterns on the edges of stone axes to tell what they were used for. (Photo enhanced)

Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond, VA

3000 - 1200 B.C.E.

.JPG, 2423 × 1943

Image

King George County

Photograph

2423 × 1943