THIS SORT OF ARTIFACT IS FOUND AROUND THE WORLD AND FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES OF MANKIND TO VERY RECENT TIMES. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE NORTH AMERICAN STONE AGE ENDED COMPARABLY RECENTLY AND HAS NOT ENDED ENTIRELY IN PARTS OF SOUTH AMERICA AND NEW GUINEA YET.
THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF HAND AX WHICH ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS SCRAPERS IN NORTH AMERICA BUT SERVED AS A KNIFE, CHOPPER, AX OR SCRAPER AS NEEDED. YOUR RED MAHOGANY OBSIDIAN EXAMPLE IS VERY NICE AND NO DOUBT THE SOURCE OF THE MATERIAL IS KNOWN TO ARCHAEOLOGISTS. THESE SORTS OF STONE MATERIALS WERE TREASURED BY THE TRIBES AND TRADED WIDELY. THERE ARE USUALLY QUARRIES WHERE THE STONE IS FOUND AND OFTEN LARGE NUMBERS OF AX AND PARTIALLY WORKED ARTIFACTS LEFT THERE. I HAVE SEEN THIS IN AREAS OF TEXAS, ARIZONA AND AUSTRALIA.
SOME OF THESE HAND AXES ARE SHAPED TO FIT THE HAND IN A CERTAIN WAY AND OTHERS CAN BE TURNED AND USED ALL THE WAY AROUND AND WERE OFTEN USED WITH A FIBER WRAP TO PROTECT THE HANDS. YOUR OBSIDIAN EXAMPLE HAS THE KNIFE POINT AND AX BLADE AND SCRAPER DEPENDING ON HOW IT IS HELD.
|