Figure 171.—Terminology of quadrangular adzes:

1, butt; 2, blade; 3, front; 4, back; 5, sides; 6, front edges; 7, back edges; 8, poll; 9, bevel; 10, edge; 11, chin (bevel shoulder): a, front view; showing front, sides and poll; b, back view, showing back and bevel; c, right side view, showing side and parts of front and back. The most common type of Samoan adz has four main surfaces; an anterior (3), a posterior (4) and two lateral (5). The terms front, back and sides are used to indicate them. The surfaces are separated by longitudinal edges formed by the meeting of the planes of the surfaces. There are two front edges (6) and two back edges (7). The edges though distinct are irregular where the depressions due to chipping have not been removed by grinding. The poll (8) is the upper end of the butt and may form a surface, an edge or a point. The bevel is the inclined surface ground posteriorly to meet the front at an acute angle to form the cutting edge, referred to as the edge. Other edges are specified. The term chin is used to denote the edge formed by the bevel with the back and replaces the term bevel shoulder to enable the term shoulder to be used exclusively with tanged adzes. The chin is irregular where the back is not ground and it varies according to whether the back is level, convex or has a median ridge.