The 8 Types Of Shovels Everyone Should Know

Humans have been digging in the Earth since the dawn of the Neolithic Revolution, some 12,000 years ago. While the earliest agriculturalists had to make do with shovels crudely fashioned from animal bones, later material advances led to the development of modern shovel designs and their specialized heads are purpose-built.

Today, shovels and spades come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and functions. Here are a few of the most common types of shovels you'll find in your local home improvement store and what they're used for.