To my eyes, it looks like the center of the head is covered by a piece of leather, so I don't think you can tell if it has a hole or not.
I know almost nothing about these things, but it looks like it has genuine age. I like it a lot.
Please take my largely-ignorant opinion with a grain of salt, but I would be surprised if this was NOT meant to be thrown. If you're just swinging this thing and, God forbid, actually make contact with something (like an opponent's skull), I don't see what's stopping it from being deflected back into your own face. As has been previously stated, this danger is mitigated with a morning star by attaching the chain or cord to the end of a handle that is longer than the cord, itself. On the other hand, the construction of this piece seems simple enough that I can imagine a hunter or warrior throwing this and not being too upset, if he couldn't retrieve it for some reason.
Another question...are you sure the head is made of stone? Just looking at the color and texture, I wouldn't be surprised to learn this was a heavily-patinated piece of iron.
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