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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 TRIHEDRAL PICK hand axe made out of quartzite. Trihedral picks have an elongated form with a narrow, three-sided lower portion of the body terminating to a point. These hand axes would have been best suited for puncturing tasks - perhaps to open the bones of large hunted game animals to get to the nourishing, prized marrow inside. The workmanship on this axe has been masterfully executed by its prehistoric tool maker. 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 surface shows a rich patina and "desert varnish", a natural glossy surface caused by the exposure of the stone to the blowing sands over hundreds of thousands of years. 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.
