Stone axehead, Estuary of River Annan

A small, fine grained, grey stone axehead with a curved point at butt. This particular axehead was uncovered by a schoolboy in the estuary of the River Annan on the riverbed.   Stone axeheads were surprisingly efficient. Fitted to a shaft of wood, antler or bone they could be used to remove the bark and phloem, which carried the nutrients of a tree, and in time it died. Large areas of forest could also be cleared by felling. Experiments in Denmark have revealed that this type of axe was most effective if swung from the elbow with short, sharp cuts. In this way three men cleared 500 square metres of silver birch forest in four hours, felling over a hundred trees!