3/4 Grooved Ax   Save
Undocumented Artifacts from the First Ohioans Exhibit
Description: This large, ground stone ax has a round poll end. There is a wide groove near the poll end that extends from the flat base and around the sides and top. The groove helped attach the ax head to its handle. The base is slightly convex, while the opposite end tapers into a thin, wide cutting edge. The ax is gray and dark olive gray in color. There are several deep cuts on the surface that were likely made by a plow, and there is a small chip missing from the cutting edge. This piece is from the Archaic period. The Archaic cultures in Ohio existed from about 6,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. Their economy was based primarily on hunting and gathering, but they did experiment with cultivating squash. Most Ohio sites are seasonal camps, created as the Indians moved due to the weather and the availability of food sources. Archaic peoples hunted smaller game than their Paleoindian predecessors, who pursued mastodons and giant beavers. The Archaic people hunted deer, elk, bear, rabbit, quail, and wild turkey. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: A4786_000054_1
Subjects: Prehistoric peoples; Stone implements; Tools, Prehistoric;
Places: Undocumented Artifacts from the First Ohioans Exhibit