Axe
Videos
An axe is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, and cut wood, to harvest timber, and as a weapon. The axe has many forms and specialised uses but generally consists o
Bronze socketed axe from the Heppeneert hoard (Belgium), about 800 BCE, collection of the King Baudouin Foundation, Gallo-Roman Museum (Tongeren)
A collection of bronze socketed axe blades from the Bronze Age found in Germany. This was the prime tool of the period, and also seems to have been used as a store of value.
Roman axes in an ancient Roman relief in Brescia, Italy
Shang dynasty axe
Adze
Videos
An adze or adz is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are
Native Alaskan boat builder using an adze c.1910
Contemporary stone adzes from New Guinea
19th century catalogue showing various adze and axe heads
Micronesian of Tobi, Palau, making a paddle for his wa with an adze