Pronounced increase in biface knapping skill half a million years ago in Britain
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1-s2.0-S2352409X25005966-main.pdf
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6.33 MB
Format
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Resource type
Journal article
Date published
February 2026
Abstract
Flake scar patterning indicates Acheulean knappers were attempting to make thin, symmetrical handaxes with regular edges. In this study we quantify these elements of handaxe form and test the variation between the first two waves of Acheulean occupation in Britain. The results show a marked contrast between these groups in thinness, symmetry, and edge regularity. Handaxes from sites such as Fordwich dated to > 0.56 Ma are crude, whereas those from sites including Boxgrove dated to ∼0.48 Ma are highly refined. This contrast in biface skill outcomes seems to have been facilitated by the use of soft-hammers and platform preparation, both of which are evident at Boxgrove. Furthermore, it suggests an increase in hominin motor control around half a million years ago that may have implications for the emergence of speech.
Project(s)
Digital Technologies, Acheulean handaxes and the Social Landscapes of the Lower Palaeolithic
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Australian Research Council | FT240100198 |
Calleva Foundation | |
Arts and Humanities Research Council | AH/W009951/1 |
Journal title
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Publisher
Elsevier BV
ISSN
2352-409X
Official URL
Keywords