Axe

National Park Service archeologist Al Schroeder recovered this axe while conducting a small test excavation of this otherwise unexcavated valley pueblo. Yucca House is one of the largest archeological sites in southwest Colorado, and acted as an important community center for the Ancestral Pueblo people from 1150-1300 CE.

This stone axe exhibits a well sharpened blade edge with roughly finished grooves. It has a partial haft to accommodate a bent wood handle that would have been secured with yucca. Axes of this sort were made by carefully shaping selected stones by pecking, chipping, abrading, and polishing until the desired form emerged. Serving many functions including pounding and chopping, axes of various types and sizes were routinely sharpened or modified for other functions. Once manufactured, an axe could remain a useful tool for a long time.