Native American, Southwestern United States, southern Colorado, Ancestral Puebloan, (Anasazi), Pueblo I to Pueblo III period, ca. 750 to 1300 CE. This is a hand-pecked and polished stone axe or hammer head, with a pair of side notches for hafting. The head is divided into separate heads by the large notches opposite each other along the periphery - one notch is slightly larger than the other - and looking closely it has a slightly raised central ridge. These notches facilitated hafting to a pole with a cord, or directly to a branch that was still green and pliable. One head is clearly the axe blade - the tip is sharpened to a cutting edge. The butt end is thicker and rounded, ideal for use as a hammer or club. Size: 5.5" L x 3.25" W (14 cm x 8.3 cm)
Provenance: ex-Joan Shaw collection, purchased in 1971; loaned to the Mesa Verde Museum from 1962 to 1970, catalog no. 8562; ex-Bill Mitchell collection Cortez, Colorado, USA, from 1958 to 1962
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#147768
Condition
Minor surface wear and nicks, and chip to blade edge that are all consistent with use and age. Intact and excellent with defined notches and smooth surface. Old inventory number on surface.