AiiT. 9. HISTORY OF INVENTIONS HOUGH. 13 



only very recently that the invention of steel has furnished humanity 

 with a satisfactory chopping tool. The most important function of 

 the modern ax is the cutting of wood. The bronze ax took many 

 forms in Europe, and in the series here presented these are followed 

 by two stone axes which, on account of their method of hafting, are 

 placed next the iron and steel tools. 



In early days the ax was a weapon as well as an implement, and 

 with simple peoples it still serves as a weapon. The machine ax, 

 of which a model is presented in No. 16, is a comparatively simple 

 contrivance when placed alongside of the marvelous machines that 

 stand at the head of some of the other lines of mechanical progress. 



No. 1. stone as or hatchet, earliest and simplest form of cutting implement 

 known to have be^i made by man. Nodule of flint roughly flaked. 

 France. Thennes 99,440 



No. 2. Stone ax or hatchet of flint, shaped by chipping. Sweden 137,521 



No. 3. Stone ax or hatchet of flint, shaped by chipping and finished by grind- 

 ing. Sweden 136,743 



No. 4. Stone ax or hatchet of nonchippable material, pecked into form and 

 then ground 15,868 



No. 5. Stone ax or hatchet ; nonchippable material, pecked into form ; ground 

 and polished ; poll roughened for insertion in wooden handle. Switzer- 

 land 100,614 



No. 6. Stone ax or hatchet ; serpentine ; ground ; fitted in staghorn socket for 

 insertion in wooden handle. Switzerland 100,.554 



No. 7. Bronze ax or hatchet; cast; flat blade pointed above for insertion in 

 wooden handle. France 136,700 



No. 8. Bronze ax or hatchet; cast; blade flat with raised edges, to be in- 

 sorted in handle 148,628 



No. 9. Bronze ax or hatchet ; cast ; wings and stop to aid in fixing 

 handle 101,101 



No. 10. Bronze ax or hatchet ; cast ; wide wings at sides and hood at upper 

 end for attaching handle 101,172 



No. 11. Bronze ax or hatchet ; cast ; socketed for insertion of handle ; ring at 

 side to aid in fixing handle 101,110 



No. 12. Stone ax or hatchet, pecked into form and then ground ; drilled for 

 insertion of handle Sweden 101.046 



No. 13. Stone ax or hatchet, pecked into form and ground ; drilled for inser- 

 tion of handle 137,138 



No. 14. Modern iron ax ; curved poll ; used for timbering. Fusan, Korea, 



129,495 



No. 15. Modern chopping ax ; iron and steel ; in common use in United States. 



No. 16. Wood-splitting ax ; operated by steam power. 



SERIES 3. — ABORIGINAL AMERICAN AX. 



Plate 14. 



A comparison of the American with the European stone ax is 



instructive. In America the typical implement is the grooved ax, 



which has a development well indicated in the series here shown. 



With the grooved ax there is associated a closely related family of 



3136— 22--Proc.N.M.Yol.60 22 



