Stone Axe Head

Object/Artifact

-

Lititz Historical Foundation

Stone Axe Head

Stone Axe Head

Name/Title

Stone Axe Head

Entry/Object ID

2024.6.1

Description

This is a full groove stone axe head. Native craftsmen shaped igneous and metamorphic rocks by pecking away stone with a harder rock and using sand or sandstone as an abrasive to shape the groove and taper one end of the axe. They would use animal sinew to attach a wooden handle in the groove. The earliest use of stone axes in Pennsylvania dates to the Archaic Period (ca.8000 to 1800 BCE). Native Americans continued using axes of this type into the 17th Century of the modern era. Contact and trade with Europeans introduced metal axes, and these gradually replaced stone tools.

Use

The primary use was to fell hardwood trees and split wood.

Category

Native Americans, Tools

Made/Created

Place

County

Lancaster County

State

Pennsylvania

Country

United States

Continent

North America

Notes

We do not have sufficient evidence to provide a more specific date or time when this axe was made and used.

Dimensions

Height

2-1/2 in

Width

1 in

Length

4 in

Color

Brown

Web Links and URLs

"Full Grooved Axes," National Park Service, "Stone Axe Heads," Blue Rock Heritage Center, Washington, PA, "Timeline of Native American Cultures," National Park Service

Create Date

March 16, 2024

Update Date

April 17, 2024