This item is a Pre-Columbian Neolithic stone tool (stone ax or celt) found in Central Panama. This one was made out of Basalt. This celt was found on the South East shore of a large island in Gatun Lake near the south end of the Gatun Locks. Zonians called this island "Navy Island", but the official name is Guarapo Island. Before the Panama Canal was constructed, this island was a hill over looking the Chagres River. This artifacts is a surface find. As a teen, living in the town of Gatun, I visited Navy Island often to fish and camp. The wave action from ships leaving Gatun Locks would wash against the steep hillside and erode the red clay soil to expose lithic artifacts. I collected artifacts between 1966 and 1968 in the American Canal Zone prior to the transfer to Panama in 1999.

I brought several of my celts to U.C. Berkeley in 1969 for identification. I was told that they are similar to artifacts in the U.C. Berkeley collection that were dated between 500 B.C. and 600 A.D.

This is the first celt that I found on Navy Island. Ivan Klasovsky and I were walking on the Navy Island beach when a school of Jack Crevalle corralled a school of bait fish near the shore. We were picking up rocks to throw at the Jack Crevalle and Ivan said this stone looks like a lithic tool. I looked down on the ground and found the celt in this listing.

The workmanship on this celt is superb. The cutting edge is sharp and nearly perfect. The handle end tapers in such a way as to make it very comfortable in my right hand. There is even a polished area with a recess on one side for the fingers, although it was made for a slightly smaller hand than mine. This is the only celt I ever found with this feature and it is my favorite of the lot and in marvelous condition.

The approximate dimensions and weights are as follows: