When the antler splintered during use as an ax handle, it wasn’t lost forever. “Subsequently, the ax was broken and transformed into another tool, probably a harpoon, which eventually also ...

A 7,500-year-old antler unearthed in Sweden had characteristic breakage patterns that suggest it was the handle for a battle ax.

An exquisitely decorated 7,500-year-old antler from central Sweden was first used as a battle ax and later probably as a fishing harpoon during the Stone Age, a new study suggests.

The antler, dated to around 5500 B.C., was discovered among human skeletal parts and richly decorated objects, including 20 pieces of human skull, engraved animal bones, and stone ax blades.