Stone Axe

Stone Axe 1968/24

Innovation Aboriginal people were the first in the world to grind edges on stone tools like this axe blade. These tools were part of everyday life and used for a variety of tasks like chopping wood, processing animal skins and preparing food. 36,000-year-old grindstones used for making flour from seeds suggest that in addition to being innovative toolmakers, Aboriginal people are also likely to be the world’s first bakers. Manufacturing This Aboriginal stone axe blade was found on the traditional lands of the Awarbukal people. It is a product of complex manufacturing techniques. The hard stone was picked to create an axe shape and then was polished on both sides with sand to create a precise straight sharp edge. The Awarbukal word for stone axe is bukko. Trade This Aboriginal axe blade was found in the Hunter Region but is made of stone sourced in Central Victoria. Aboriginal nations developed complex trading routes over more than 60,000 years. These routes were not just used for exchanging goods but also for sharing knowledge and culture. The Awarbukal traded coal, that was used to treat psoriasis, and local stone called chert that was used for very sharp, almost scalpel-like blades. Greenstone This piece of greenstone has been shaped into an axe blade. Greenstone is a type of Igneous rock formed through the cooling of magma or lava. Aboriginal people quarried the stone by striking exposed outcrops with a hammerstone, or by digging under or around them to find unweathered stone.