Grooved axe · Late Archaic
Full-grooved axe
4000–1000 BCE, Archaic (Eastern)
The full-grooved axe is the ground-stone hafted axe of the Middle to Late Archaic Eastern Woodlands and Southeast, about 4,000 to 1,000 BCE, made by pecking and grinding hardstone into shape with a groove around the whole body. It was hafted in a bent withe and used for felling and woodworking. It is a staple of Archaic collections.
| Object | Grooved axe |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4000–1000 BCE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Cultures | Archaic (Eastern) |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Pecked and ground hardstone axe with a hafting groove encircling the entire body; poll may be flat or raised.
Identification
The groove encircles the entire axe, unlike the three-quarter-grooved axe, which leaves one face flat, and the celt, which has no groove. Polls may be flat, raised or pointed. Materials are granite, diorite, basalt and hematite.
Reproductions and fakes
Fakes are made from cobbles on power grinders and show parallel striations and no pecking under the polish; genuine axes show pecking scars in the groove and bit polish worn by use. Damaged genuine axes are also re-ground.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Full-grooved axe" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/full-grooved-axe. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-full-grooved-axe,
title = {Full-grooved axe},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/full-grooved-axe}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.