Adze

2321

From: Japan | Shinshiu

Curatorial Section: Asian

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Object Number 2321
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Late Paleolithic (uncertain) | Jomon (uncertain) | Japanese
Provenience Japan | Shinshiu
Period Late Paleolithic (uncertain) | Jomon (uncertain)
Date Made Late Paleolithic, Japan - Jomon
Section Asian
Materials Stone
Technique Flaked | Chipped
Description

Adze. Elongated shape. Bifacially retouched. End is smooth and angled. Brown speckled stone. Unground adzes may have been used as a hoe for digging and harvesting roots, bulbs and other wild plants. They could also have served as a woodworking tool. They were made from pebbles which were carefully selected for their shape. The cutting edge was created by chipping at either one or both sides to form a sharp edge. The opposite end is usually thicker. This type is associated with the Late Paleolithic Period. However, rough stone tools also appear in Jomon sites in a variety of shapes including axe shaped, triangular and bowtie-shaped forms. Thus this form may be either Late Paleolithic or Jomon Period.

Credit Line Gift of Francis C. Macauley, Esq., 1890

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