Mesolithic Adze (Axe)
Object
Flint tool
Production date
9600BC - 4000 BC
Object number
1991.687
Physical Description
Flint axe
Associated Event
Dimension
Width: 143mm
Exhibition Label
From the exhibition ‘Hackney 300,000 BC: Meet the Neanderthal neighbours and curious creatures of the borough's Old Stone Age’
Technological Innovation
The Middle Stone Age saw technological innovations with new types of tools, such as axes (adzes), that helped modern humans begin to control their environment.
This axe was designed to be good at chopping the trees of the forests that thrived during this time period to create paths or open spaces to attract grazing animals. It also could have been used for woodworking objects like boats.
It would originally been set in a wooden handle, but these rarely survive. Similar axes have been found in Stamford Hill and Shoreditch.
Technological Innovation
The Middle Stone Age saw technological innovations with new types of tools, such as axes (adzes), that helped modern humans begin to control their environment.
This axe was designed to be good at chopping the trees of the forests that thrived during this time period to create paths or open spaces to attract grazing animals. It also could have been used for woodworking objects like boats.
It would originally been set in a wooden handle, but these rarely survive. Similar axes have been found in Stamford Hill and Shoreditch.
On display?
No