We had several correct guesses to our June’s What Is It. Christine Green of Westminster, Colorado; Deborah Krinitzsky of Littleton, Colorado; Connie Godwin, Lyons, Colorado; and Lynda Moore of Sun City, Arizona all identified the objects as prehistoric stone axes. Congratulaions! You have all won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.
Though they aren’t found for sale as frequently as chipped stone artifacts like arrowheads and knives, ground stone axes have a strong following among buyers of prehistoric artifacts. By definition, ground axes are made by selecting a raw material that can be shaped, finished, and sharpened by grinding the tool on a different stone, as opposed to choosing materials like chert that are fashioned into tools by flaking or chipping. The axes shown are medium grade axes. All are full-groove but one has the bit end broken off and the other two lack the polish and finish of high quality tools. See article on page 11 for more about prehistoric stone axes.
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