The latest addition to the list of archaeological tool types is the stone hoe.
Stone hoes are what archaeologists call hafted digging implements made of flint, chert or other type of stone. They were used primarily in prehistoric places where metal was difficult or impossible to get. In fact, much stone hoe research has been conducted on Mississippian stone hoes from the American midwest, where the only true metal available prehistorically was soft copper, unsuited for the aggressive efforts required to dig in soil.
Recent research in stone tools within the Mississippian period has used usewear, silica polishes, phytolith analysis and experimental archaeology; all of which has taught us much about stone hoes.
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