Patu-shaped stone tool

Patu-shaped stone tools used in Taiwan prehistory are relatively large in size than other tools. Their shape is similar to the Patu of the Maori people in New Zealand which are used in battles. Some scholars have concluded that their functions are also similar. From the wear marks, Taiwan Patu-shaped stone tools were most likely farm tools. However, regards to their size and the care taken in production, they may have been ceremonial tools for the performance of farming-related rites.