Grooved Stone Axe

Grooved Stone Axe

Artifacts

This grooved axe was found at a Late Woodland site in Tazewell County in southwestern Virginia. It is an example 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. Ground stone tools were often made from granite or greenstone metabasalt, and they were repaired by flaking. Once finished, the axe would have been hafted to a wooden handle, which decomposed over time. Archaeologists can use microscopes to see use-wear patterns on the edges of stone axes to tell what they were used for. Axes were usually used for chopping wood or other material. (Photo enhanced)

Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond, VA

500 B.C.E. - 1600 C.E.

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Image

Tazewell County

Photograph

783 × 530