stone chisels and other miscellanea

Whilst archaeologists generally strive to be precise when it comes to describing artefacts there is a lack of clarity concerning those woodworking tools (or implements) which were probably not tree-felling axes. We have successfully dropped the antiquated term 'celt' in favour of more precise terminology, but why we persist in describing objects as axes which are clearly not equivalent (either morphologically or in terms of their utilitarian performance characteristics) is quite beyond me.

One could argue that the exisiting term 'axe' refers to all stone cutting implements, but realistically the  scope is so broad the term becomes meaningless, at least if we are to continue to debate the role(s) that these tools played in society. The difference between a utilitarian tool and a ceremonial object (one not designed to be used in the same way as a utilitarian counterpart) is sufficiently great that we really ought to be sure we are all on the same page whe it comes to nomenclature.

It is abundantly clear that the things we describe as Neolithic ground stone tools reflect a wide range of woodworking tools as well as tree-felling axes and other implements. As a typology can be used as a shorthand for researchers, we should strive to be more precise because otherwise we run the risk of conflating data sets into an arbitrary set of figures which are not very helpful to others.  Determining the design performance characteristics of the specimens we study is difficult enough without adding to the confusion (Chapple struggled with precisely this issue, 1987).

A chisel is morphologically entirely different to an axe. Both have blades, and both might be made of stone. But in use as tools the comparison ends. We might as well lump razor blades with a butchers cleaver - they are after all the same material and both are used for cutting.

There is some reluctance to pursue taxonomic issues within stone tools any further because of the extreme complexity we engage with (see Pitts 1996). However, complex artefact morphologies should not deter us from adopting an appropriate nomenclature when it can be demonstrated that we are indeed discussing different types of things. Chisels, are chisels. Axes, are axes. W.J. Knowles knew this in 1893. There is a beautiful specimen of a flint chisel at the Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland. The Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland (scroll down).