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Acheulean

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

  • 135 Accesses

Synonyms

Hand axe; Cleaver; Core tool

Definition

A term used to classify a class of stone tools that all share a distinct oval/pear shape.

Introduction

The Acheulean class of stone tools is believed to have evolved from the Oldowan stone tools as far back as 1.76 million years ago. It has many qualities that make it different from the previous generation of stone tools, which include shape, and potential use. Furthermore, it is important to note that the Acheulean class of tools “were the dominant technology for the vast majority of human history” (Tattersall 2012).

The Acheulean Class of Tools and Their Importance

Approximately 1.76 million years ago, early humans ceased to use the Oldowan class of stone tools and adapted the Acheulean class of tools. This set of tools all share a similar shape, that of an oval or pear. An important difference between this class of tools and the older Oldowan tools is the supplementation of using some form of hammer made of bone, or wood to better...

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References

  • Gamble, C. (1999). Hominid ranging patterns and dietary strategies in Ullrich. In Settlement, society and cognition in human evolution: Landscapes in mind. Edition Archaea, 364–409, Retrieved 13 Jan 2017.

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  • Paddayya, K. (1976). Excavation of an Acheulian site at Hunsgi, South India. Current Anthropology, 17(4), 760–761. https://doi.org/10.1086/201822.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tattersall, I. (2012). Masters of the planet: The search for our human origins. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, USA

    Nicholas Primavera

Authors
  1. Nicholas Primavera
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicholas Primavera .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Dominican College, Orangeburg, NY, USA

    Haley Dillon

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Cite this entry

Primavera, N. (2018). Acheulean. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_330-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_330-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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