Story of Axehead 3
axe 1
axe 2
axe 4
This axehead is shaped like an oval and is 150mm long, and 105mm wide. It is also in the shape of a spoon, with one side being convex and the other being concave. We suspect it to be a local rock and was most likely formed in the Hodgkinson Basin, which includes the Herberton area.
This axehead is made from Rhyolite Lava, which is a silica rich, thick, slow moving lava. The crystals that formed when the lava cooled are very fine and interlocking which would make it a very good material to use for an axehead as it is very strong in all directions but very difficult and time consuming to make.
The edges are all evenly worn and there are a number of scratches on it which means it was probably used fairly regularly. The angle made by the edge of the axehead is approximately 44°.
It could possibly have been used as a scraping tool. and it felt quite comfortable in the hand but to our surprise Nungbana chose to put a handle on it. Our scientific analysis was incorrect and we are lucky we could consult an elder to get things right.