The Acheulean is the longest cultural tradition ever practised by humans, lasting for over 1.5
million years. Yet, its end has never been accurately dated; only broad 300–150 thousand …

When and how human ancestors first used tools remains unknown, despite intense research
into the origins of technology. It has been hypothesized that the evolutionary roots of stone …

The field of ergonomics studies how the human body interacts with its physical environment.
Often there is a focus on hand-held tools. In the case of hominin artifacts, factors relating to …

Considerations of materiality and object-oriented approaches have greatly influenced the
development of archaeological theory in recent years. Yet, Palaeolithic archaeology has …

The evolution of the hominin hand has been widely linked to the use and production of
flaked stone tool technologies. After the earliest handheld flake tools emerged, shifts in …

For over 3 million years hominins held stone-cutting tools in the hand, gripping the portion of
tool displaying a sharp cutting edge directly. During the late Middle Pleistocene human …

Understanding early stone tools, particularly relationships between form and function, is
fundamental to understanding the behavioral evolution of early hominins. The oldest …

This book tells the story of both the ancient humans who made handaxes and the thoughts
and ideas of scholars who have spent their lives trying to understand them. Beginning with …

Technological innovation has been crucial in the evolution of our lineage, with tool use and
production linked to complex cognitive processes. While previous research has examined …

Systematic tool use is a central component of the human niche. However, the timing and
mode of its evolution remain poorly understood. A newly developed method for the analysis …