A couple of long stone blades, displayed at last weekend's Early Man Artifacts & Antique Gun Show, were once somebody's prized possessions.
Now they are carefully protected in wood and glass boxes. But their original owners would probably used them for multiple purposes.
"I think they might have cut grass with them," said owner Tim Lawrence, who also brought arrowheads, spear points and other artifacts to show to the curious. "They could have been like a butcher knife like Grandma had. A cutting tool."
Lawrence said he bought them after a patient, five-decade wait.
"I bought them from an old man, but it took 50 years," Lawrence said of the twin blades. "I was 16 years old when I first saw them."
He and Larry Underwood, also a collector who organizes the artifacts shows at the VFW post, estimated the blades to be from 2500-3000 BC. Often people only think of native people who lived in the area a few hundred years ago, but people have been in Missouri for thousands of years, Lawrence added.
Examples of ancient human occupation can be seen at Graham Cave State Park, 25 miles east of Kingdom City. Radiocarbon dating indicates the park's shelter cave was inhabited more than 10,000 years ago. Interpretive signs point out interesting discoveries; exhibits detail how the early inhabitants lived.
"A Hike Through Time" will be conducted 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday at Graham Cave State Park. Attendees will meet at the lower picnic shelter with natural resource specialist Lorie Volenberg who will be guiding hikes on trails. To get there, go east on Interstate 70 to exit 170 near Danville. Turn north and follow signs. For more information, call 573-564-3476.