Handaxe
Object
Flint tool
Production date
328,000 BC - 300000 BC
Object number
1991.633
Physical Description
Handaxe. Flint, gentle taper, brown and mustard.
Object history
Flint handaxe. This stone tool was not made by a modern human, but members of a different species – the Neanderthals.
Material
Stone
Dimension
Width: 145mm
Exhibition Label
From ‘Hackney 300,000 BC: Meet the Neanderthal neighbours and curious creatures of the borough's Old Stone Age’
Handaxe
These handaxes were the Old Stone Age version of the Swiss Army knife. By studying marks left on the surface of stone axes, archaeologists can tell they had multiple uses, including butchering and skinning animals, cutting wood and even digging.
Handaxes are shaped out of a larger piece of stone. Flakes are removed by hitting it against another stone or piece of antler (known as ‘knapping’). To create these elegant, symmetrical shapes would require forward planning and great technical skill.
Rather than being attached to a handle, they were handheld. Handaxes are the most frequently found item from the Old Stone Age, and have become iconic of the time period.
Handaxe
These handaxes were the Old Stone Age version of the Swiss Army knife. By studying marks left on the surface of stone axes, archaeologists can tell they had multiple uses, including butchering and skinning animals, cutting wood and even digging.
Handaxes are shaped out of a larger piece of stone. Flakes are removed by hitting it against another stone or piece of antler (known as ‘knapping’). To create these elegant, symmetrical shapes would require forward planning and great technical skill.
Rather than being attached to a handle, they were handheld. Handaxes are the most frequently found item from the Old Stone Age, and have become iconic of the time period.
On display?
No