THE USE OF STONE AXES. 97 



the Swiss Stone Age lake habitations were evidently, from 

 the marks of the cuts on them, prepared with the help of 

 stone axes ; and in the Danish peat bogs, several trees have 

 been found with the marks of stone axes, and of fire, upon 

 them, and in one or two cases, stone celts have even been 

 found lying at the side. In the excavations known as Grimes' 

 Graves again, as already mentioned (ante, p. 82), a basalt 

 hatchet was found, which had evidently been used for exca- 

 vating the gallery, as shown by the marks still distinctly 



visible on the walls. 



FIG. 100. 



Swiss Stone Axe. 



One use of the North American tomahawk was to crush 

 bones for the sake of the marrow ;* and it is most probable 

 that the ancient stone axes also served the same purpose. 



In many cases the axes themselves bear unmistakable marks 

 of long continued use. For instance, the specimen represented 

 in figs. 101, 102, has no doubt once been much longer, and 

 had surfaces consisting of one continuous sweep, as in pi. 1, 

 fig. 1. The edge, however, having been destroyed by use, 

 it was again chipped sharp and re-polished, the new surface 

 meeting the old one at a. A second time the edge became 

 destroyed, and the owner, as may be seen in fig. 102, has 

 commenced the formation of a new one. 



That they were also weapons of war is probable, not only 

 on a priori grounds, but also because they have frequently 



* James' Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, vol. L p. 193. 



H 



