FFC thought this was being used to split rocks. Anyone recognize the style? I want to say this would give a date for when the site was in use. Here is the scene, broken axe head in the foreground:
And a closeup of one of the wedged rocks:
The last time I saw something like this axe head was on another walk with FFC where he spotted a broken plow blade in a rock pile (see here). I makes me speculate about use of broken tools in rock piles. Searching around this blog, it appears that usually when I spot things in piles, FFC spots them first. Here he found a horseshoe in a pile. In my own defense, I did see the axe head first this time.
back in the day, i used to metal detect a lot in the woods. I would find much debris, mostly old farm equiptment. Instead of leaving it buried we would place scrap iorn on rocks so it would not be detected again. Lots of oxen shoes and plow blades, broken tools etc.etc. Maybe that is how that came to rest there? That is what it looks like to me.
ReplyDeleteKeith
In the midst of these rock piles and other features, I am guessing it was for a different purpose.
ReplyDeleteStone isn't usually split with an axe, but then again trying to do so would break a wood axe. Do you mean the axe head might have been used as a wedge???
ReplyDeleteTim, yes. If you look at the shape of the broken edge on the left, opposite from the cutting edge on the right, it looks like it might have been dented or hammered. I was not as ready as FFC to conclude something from that.
ReplyDeleteI should acknowledge that Keith has a point.
ReplyDelete