Big enough to matter: on the frequency and chronology of giantg handaxes in the British Lower Palaeolithic

Hypertrophic 'giant' handaxes are a rare component of Acheulean assemblages, yet have been central to debates relating to the social, cognitive and cultural 'meaning' of these enigmatic tools. The authors examine giant handaxes from the perspective of the British record and sugge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antiquity 2024, Vol.98 (398), p.305
Main Authors: Dale, Luke, Rawlinson, Aaron, Knowles, Pete, Foulds, Frederick, Ashton, Nick, Bridgland, David, White, Mark
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropological research
Axes, Prehistoric
Paleolithic period
Prehistoric axes
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Hypertrophic 'giant' handaxes are a rare component of Acheulean assemblages, yet have been central to debates relating to the social, cognitive and cultural 'meaning' of these enigmatic tools. The authors examine giant handaxes from the perspective of the British record and suggest that they are chronologically patterned, with the great majority originating from contexts broadly associated with Marine Isotope Stage 9. Giant handaxes tend to have higher symmetry than non-giants, and extravagant forms, such as ficrons, are better represented; they may therefore be linked to incipient aesthetic sensibilities and, potentially, to changing cognition at the transition between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic. Keywords: Britain, Lower Palaeolithic, MIS 9 (~300 000 years ago), Acheulean handaxes, stone-tool morphology, symmetry
ISSN:0003-598X
DOI:10.15184/aqy.2024.30