Weapons

A tomahawk is a light weight axe and one of the most common symbols associated with Native Americans. Although the tomahawk had many uses, it was mostly used as a weapon; many of the tribes used tomahawks to scalp their enemies. The handles were polished wood, sometimes wrapped in rawhide or cloth, or painted. Metals used for the head of the tomahawk were iron or brass. Some tomahawks had a hollowed out handle, and the end of the head opposite the cutting edge could be made into a pipe bowl. These "pipe tomahawks" were very common. Other weapons used were stone-headed spears, knives and bows and arrows.

Woodworking Tools

A stone celt was a woodworking tool similar in appearance to a modern steel axe. The stone head was fitted into the sockets of a wooden handle. Celts were made from different types of stone that were indigenous to the area. Usually a wedge shape, the stone would be made smooth by hand-grinding with a suitable rough stone. It is a common artifact found in Illinois and Ohio, and in most sections of Oklahoma. Adzes are small axe-like, stone-headed tools that were used for smoothing rough cut wood. Perfect for hollowing out wood, they were used in the making of canoes.

Grinding Stones and Stone Bowls

Along with making pottery and baskets, Native American women used grinding stones---large, round, heavy stones---to grind corn into powder for bread. These stones also were used by the tribe's medicine man for crushing herbs into powder. The types of stone bowls and weapons created were unique to each tribe's culture and the region they lived in. This not only helps archaeologists distinguish between the different tribes, but it also helps to give an idea of what types of activities the tribes concentrated on, such as hunting, fishing, fighting or farming.