Introduction
Few objects in the history of prehistoric archaeology have attracted such sustained scholarly interest – and proved so resilient to scientific explanation – as the handaxe.
Handaxe is an early term that is still widely used to describe an enigmatic type of stone tool found at archaeological sites across at least two-thirds of the Paleolithic Old World (Lycett & Gowlett 2008). These are stones that were flaked on two opposing surfaces in such a manner that a generally ovate- or teardrop-shaped plan form, and symmetry or near-symmetry about two planes, was produced (Figs. 1–2).
Acheulean handaxes from Middle Pleistocene Britain. Scale bars are in 10 mm increments (Photos: A. Brumm; the artifacts are in the collections of the British Museum; used with permission)
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Brumm, A. (2014). Handaxes and Biface Technology. In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_681
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