How did bone and antler handles improve Late Paleolithic tools?

During the Late Paleolithic, the use of bone and antler to create handles and other components significantly advanced tool technology through the process of hafting. This innovation improved tools in several key ways:1

• Mechanical Advantage: A handle functioned as a force-transmitting intermediary between the user and the toolhead. By acting as an extension of the arm, the handle increased the radius of the swing, allowing the toolhead to move faster and strike with greater kinetic energy than the arms could provide alone.1
• Enhanced Capability: Hafting allowed for the creation of more specialized and effective implements. For example, while a hand-held stone ax was limited to cutting small trees, a hafted ax could fell trees of almost any size.1
• Composite Tools: Bone and antler were used to create complex composite tools. Small, sharp flint microliths were cemented into grooves in wood or bone to form cutting edges longer than could be produced from a single piece of brittle stone.1
• Versatility: Beyond handles, these materials were carved into specialized items like spear-throwers, harpoons, and fish hooks, expanding the range and efficiency of hunting and gathering activities.12