Big enough to matter: on the frequency and chronology of giant handaxes in the British Lower Palaeolithic
Name
big-enough-to-matter-on-the-frequency-and-chronology-of-giant-handaxes-in-the-british-lower-palaeolithic.pdf
Description
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Size
5.02 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (CRC64NVME)
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Resource type
Journal article
Date published
April 2024
Abstract
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.
Project(s)
Digital Technologies, Acheulean handaxes and the Social Landscapes of the Lower Palaeolithic; Pathways to Ancient Britain
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Arts and Humanities Research Council | AH/L503927/1 |
Arts and Humanities Research Council | AH/R002444/1 |
Arts and Humanities Research Council | AH/W009951/1 |
Calleva Foundation | PAB4 |
Journal title
Antiquity
Volume
98
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
ISSN
0003-598X
eISSN
1745-1744
Official URL
Keywords