Stone Axes

Can you imagine cutting down a tree with a rock? Before steel axe heads came to the area we live in (about 50 years ago) that is what people did. Building a house, making a fence, cooking, and keeping warm all required cutting down trees—and cutting down trees required a stone axe!

In the tribal territory where we live, there are two stone axe quarries. One of these places is a special riverbed where the people could get hard rocks that they could shape, sharpen, and use for axes. At the other place there is a rock overhang with very hard rock. The tribal people would build a scaffolding up under the rock shelf and then light a fire. The fire would heat up the rock and then it would explode, sending rock shards flying. The bigger rock pieces would be shaped into stone axes and the smaller ones would be used for knives and other tools.

Today, the tribal people in our area are able to get metal knives and axes, which make their lives much easier!