Big enough to matter: on the frequency and chronology of giant handaxes in the British Lower Palaeolithic

Dale, Luke; Rawlinson, Aaron; Knowles, Pete; Foulds, Frederick; Ashton, Nick; Bridgland, David; White, Mark

Abstract

Hypertrophic ‘giant’ handaxes are a rare component of Acheulean assemblages, yet have been central to debates relating to the social, cognitive and cultural ‘meaning’ of these enigmatic tools. The authors examine giant handaxes from the perspective of the British record and suggest that they are chronologically patterned, with the great majority originating from contexts broadly associated with Marine Isotope Stage 9. Giant handaxes tend to have higher symmetry than non-giants, and extravagant forms, such as ficrons, are better represented; they may therefore be linked to incipient aesthetic sensibilities and, potentially, to changing cognition at the transition between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 25, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 4, 2024
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jun 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 4, 2024
• Journal: Antiquity
• Print ISSN: 0003-598X
• Electronic ISSN: 1745-1744
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 98
• Issue: 398
• Pages: 305-322
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.30
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1172316