Marshalltown trowel

The Marshalltown trowel is a tool used by archaeologists in the United States of America and elsewhere.

Made by the Marshalltown Company of Marshalltown, Iowa, it was given iconic status by the American archaeologist Kent Flannery in his article 'The Golden Marshalltown', published in American Anthropology (1982). The Marshalltown trowel is made of a single piece of metal. The most popular sizes are the 5-inch and 6-inch pointing trowels, but archaeologists sometimes also use the trowels that have a squared end. It is larger and more flexible than the WHS trowel preferred by archaeologists in the United Kingdom which makes it better for cleaning sections but less well-suited to digging heavy clay and gravel deposits.