In our neck of the woods... an artifact

A few days ago, I was walking along the shore of the lake cove about a half mile from our house when I came upon a stone half buried in the mud. Seeing it had an unusually smooth shape, I pulled it out. This is what I found.

I'm not a serious collector of stone artifacts, and I honestly don't know much about them, so I sent photos to my son Ryan, who posted them to a Missouri artifacts Facebook group. Based on its shape and large size, the consensus seemed to be that it is likely an adze. Or possible an axe. Both of these are tools that were often used for woodcutting (and cutting many other things). For shaping canoes, tool handles, and anything else made of wood. Also used for digging.

So, what's the difference between an adze and an axe? They have similar uses, but an adze has the blade positioned perpendicular (at a 90° angle) to the length of the handle (see the tool on the right below in the third photo). An axe, on the other hand, has the blade positioned parallel the handle (the tool on the left).

If my artifact is an axe or adze, maybe it was positioned on the handle in such a way that both sharp ends could be used... one end with a flat, chisel-like tip, the other end with a more rounded tip. A dual-use tool.

It's also possible this artifact is a spear tip. But most spear tips have a sharper point than this, which is why the consensus was a woodworking tool.

How old is it? That's a much harder question to answer. Some of the oldest artifacts in Missouri are from the Clovis culture. The Clovis people were nomadic hunter-gatherers that were in the area of Missouri from about 13,000 years ago (maybe more) to about 10,000 ago. Their stone points are distinct in shape, different from the one I found. So, I can assume it was likely made in the last 10,000 years. But my limited knowledge ends here. I simply don't know.

Still, I find it fascinating to imagine the person who made this tool. What was he (or she) like? What kinds of animals did this person see that are now long extinct? Did this person stand in the exact spot where I was standing when I found the artifact? Did the person think about love and joy and beauty? I wish I knew.

Photo Credits:
- Artifact - Stan C. Smith
- Adze and ax comparison - Museum of Stone Tools