Featured Modern handle- Stone head hammer

Hi all,
So someone had himself an idea (and obviously a need for a hammer) But what do you think of the stone? Looks pretty square with some ‘edges’ so it was man made? What was it made for? Some kind of weight or anchor stone? Milling type stone? The stone is about 6cm wide and 8cm long. I tried to take the stone off but it’s pretty wedged.

(I posted a round Hag stone before that I picked up)

Thanks for any comments

 

That stone hammer head may be O-L-D. You don't go drilling holes in rocks to use as tools unless you have to.

 

Thanks for the reply. That’s a great saying: “You don't go drilling holes in rocks to use as tools unless you have to” It’s almost a synonym for life! I like it and will try and use the phrase in a meeting..

 

(LOL)

 

Sorry didn’t include the photos of the ends. The ends are more pitted/uneven so it does look like it was used for ‘hitting’ something (but when? And what?) Wonder if some clever person didn’t also use it to hit nails?

The white/grey looks like paint residue to me (I can scratch it with my nail) There’s also white paint spots on the handle. Anyway it’s a cool thing (but I won’t be using it around the house )

 

The stone may be very old, as @evelyb30 suggested. The hole through it appears to be biconical (drilled from both sides, producing an hourglass shaped hole), which is typical of perforated/bored stones made during the neolithic time period and subsequent "stone age" cultures. No one knows for sure what they were originally used for, but archeologists have suggested they may have been mace heads, or weights for digging sticks. Similar stones have been found in many locations around the world, including many in sub-Saharan Africa, and prehistoric bored stones appear to have been found and repurposed by later cultures.

Here is an article discussing the symbolism and use of perforated stones among contemporary groups in South Africa -

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11759-024-09494-9#Bib1

I suspect the stone head of your hammer may have been found and put to a new use. You might take it to an archeology museum in your area to see if it is similar to prehistoric examples.

 

Cool item @Boland and provocative possibilities @2manybooks!

 

@2manybooks
Well that would be great. Many thanks for the very interesting and potentially exciting information (imagine the ‘hole’ turning out too be that old,absolutely fascinating) I will give the article a good read. I will also try and find a museum to maybe contact or take it to. Probably need to cut/break if free from that handle first Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us!

 

Thanks. Yes,very cool..

 

I say, leave it as it is, at least until someone from a museum sees it. Repurposing like this tells a story, it is living history.

 

Ditto.

 

Will do then. Thanks for the comment AJ.

 

Ok. I hear you. Thank you