axe from Colorado found summer 2007

[abarnard]

This is an axe i found on a river terrace on the Gunnison bluff about 100 yards from the Gunnison River Colorado. It is one of my most favorite pieces that i have found.. I found it during my mapping project for geology field camp. I was just walking along doing pebble counts on the river terrace, and thought this booger looked out of the ordinary. It was half burried, and only the area that was exposed was the nose of the ax. I picked it up and almost soiled myself. There's a hairline fracture on it that runs from the nose to the middle of the ax from it being used to strike something hard. It's in great shape and complete. I need to get a display for it.

 

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[Tnmountains]

Yes display, that is no pebble. Great find and a good eye.
TnMtns

 

[tchaire]

Display that "booger" proudly!! That groove is huge!

T.

 

[geologyjohn]

abarnard, nice ax! I too did Geology Field Camp in colo. (north of Canyon City). I think that I spent more time hunting projectile points that summer than working on my mapping projects. Throw in those evening beers, and I am lucky to have graduated. However, managed to stay employed as a Geologist since then. Good luck, Geologyjohn

 

[Th3rty7]

nice axe abarnard, that's a wild patina on that piece, or is that the natural color of the stone?

 

[abarnard]

That's the natural color of the stone that it was made out of, which was a metamorphic rock of some sort. i will have to get back to you on what type though. It was very smooth though, so the color of the rock really shows well, it's more green in color on one side in contrast to the other side.

 

[Tnmountains]

Just curious as you know rocks. Could that item have been discarded to them seeing a small crack or hair line fracture and then weather temperatures expanded and contracted the fracture it to its size today?
Thanks.
TnMountains

 

[abarnard]

Yes, maybe it was discarded because they noticed that there was a fracture line on the nose. Freeze and thaw over the many years could have made that crack longer; natural weathering could have made the axe look like it does now, who knows. All i know is that I am happy that i got to it before nature did, or it would be incomplete, ha ha. Well, i guess i won that battle. During my field studies we also had to map the Shirley Basin in Wyoming. There, I also found a couple of artifacts. One turtleback scraper that was made out of some red and white chert, and some artifact that is very bizare to me. It's the size of a dime, and it looks like a stunner to me made out of some kind of hard sandstone material of some sort. I have never seen anything like it. I posted a pic of it, since you (TN MNT) seem to give me good info and pictures. Thanks..

 

[Tnmountains]

Very nice scrapers. What you are calling a stunner is kinda puzzling. What we used to call stunners or blunts usually had a base similar to a point. Wether they were broke and then reworked or made that way I do not know.Your base seems thick to have been hafted?? You know how soft sandstone is and what mother nature can create. Do you think it may be natural or does it show signs of being crafted? So hard to tell from pictures sometimes.It kinda looks like a little pick axe,lol.
I do have some blunts that look similar but have been learning they may be scrapers after all. Not sure yet.
Will try to post some pics tomorrow of them for you to compare and meanwhile these knowledgeable guys and gals may chime in with the correct answer.

I have a question for you now. I wish to purchase a book on learning the diff types of flint and chert used in artifacts and the transitions caused by heat. Any Ideas? I do OK stumbling through most any book or published paper. Something pertaining to the geology of the south east and not just its four layers. Rocks of the south east.
Thanks
TnMountains

 

[abarnard]

Yep that weird piece has been worked. The two corners that make the T have been squarred off by the use of some other tool. It's definitely a weird piece indeed. Wish i knew what it was used for. You can't see very well in the pics, sorry, but the tip of it has been smoothed to make it into something similar to a wedge design. On the books, the only thing I can think of is any book on Sedimentary and stratigraphy because it will have a section on chert and how it's formed and it may give you some background. Chert is silica based so you may want to try to find a book on silicates, etc. It may help. Or, you could find a book on specific geology of the SE. I am not sure, I guess it would be good to try to dig something up on Google. Thanks for the reply TN

 

[allen]

congrats on that beauty !!!

 

[Tnmountains]

In shape this was all I could find that was similiar. What do you think? My ends were fat also for hafting....