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Product Description
SEE MORE ACHEULEAN STONE AGE TOOLS
This GENUINE prehistoric hand axe was made and used by early humans of the species Homo erectus (ergaster). It was surface-collected from an exposed Lower Paleolithic Acheulean site in the Sahara Desert of Northwest Africa. Lower Paleolithic hand axes such as this, are the first scientifically documented intelligent design tool in human developmental history. Prior to these Saharan Acheulean hand axes, only crude pebble and flake tools existed in the human fossil record.
This is a large and impressive, complete AMYGDALOID BIFACE hand axe made out of quartzite. It is large and of substantial weight - perfect to smash bones and butcher the carcasses of large hunted game of the day. The workmanship on this axe has been masterfully executed by its prehistoric tool maker and this is one of the finest Early Acheulean hand axes one could own. Tip and edges are intact with remarkable detail in the flaking on the edges. The exceptional condition has preserved such fine ancient handcraft, making this an especially desirable investment collection specimen!
The aesthetic mix of black and brick red colors is attributed to the minerals of the desert sand that deposited themselves over the surface of this hand axe, over hundreds of thousands of years of exposure. The surface shows a rich patina and "desert varnish". Desert varnish is a term to describe a natural sheen to the stone surface caused by silica deposition of the blowing sands over hundreds of thousands of years of exposure. Original sediment and mineral encrustations are still present in microscopic crevices and cracks - a trait ONLY found in authentic Paleolithic artifacts.
At this period in North African prehistory, large animals such as ancient giraffe, bison and elephants would have thrived in a temperate floodplain and open savanna before prehistoric global warming turned the region into the now, inhospitable Sahara Desert. Butchering these large hunted animals would have require specialized tools such as this rare example.
