Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How were Acheulean hand axes shaped?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Paleolithic Period
The Venus of Willendorf, a Upper Paleolithic limestone figurine originally colored with red ochre, 30,000ā25,000 bce, found at Willendorf, Lower Austria; in the Natural History Museum, Vienna.
The shaping of Acheulean hand axes evolved significantly over time, transitioning from crude techniques to more refined methods of stone-flaking.
- Early Techniques: The earliest hand axes were produced by rapping a stone core against an "anvil" stone to remove chips from both sides, creating a sinuous cutting edge.
- Hammerstone Refinement: Later, a hammerstone replaced the anvil, allowing for the flaking of the entire core surface to create an oval, bifacial implement with straighter edges. Small flakes were often removed from the edges to further improve their straightness.
- Soft-Hammer Percussion: In later stages, bone or wood "hammers" were used. These tools removed smaller, flatter flakes, resulting in a smoother, more elegant implement with a sharp, straight edge.
By the height of the Acheulean industry, these tools were typically almond-shaped and bifacially worked, meaning their cutting edges were formed by the intersection of two curved, flaked surfaces. While the tapered end was often pointed or straight, the butt end was frequently left only roughly finished.12