Hand Axe Collection

Flint hand-axe C013 / 6640
Flint hand-axe. This hand axe dates to the late Palaeolithic and was found in Farnham, Surrey, UK

Handaxe (flint)
1216393 Handaxe (flint) by Paleolithic; 21.2x10.3 cm; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; (add.info.: St. Acheul Handaxe, pointed)

Chellean flint hand-axe (flint)
615799 Chellean flint hand-axe (flint) by Paleolithic; 15.3x9 cm; Freud Museum, London, UK; eFreud Museum, London; out of copyright

Flint hand axe
Photograph of a human-made hand axe, which was discovered in 1859, and is thought to be about 400, 000 years old

Flint handaxe incorporating fossil echinoid
Cast of handaxe from Middle Gravels of Swanscombe, Kent. Loaned by Merseyside Museums; NHM E6870

The Furze Platt Hand Axe
The Furze Platt hand axe from the Acheulian culture (Lower Palaeolithic) about 400, 000 years ago. Found in Britain in 1919 the hand axe weighs 2.8 kilos and is 30.6 cm long

1860s Charles Lyell portrait photo cdv
CDV photograph of Sir Charles Lyell (14th November 1797-22 February 1875) by John Watkins taken some time in the 1860 s. Lyell began his career as a lawyer

Palaeolithic handaxe

Paleolithic hand-axe of the Acheulian type, from Swakscombe, Kent. From the British Museums collection

Acheulean Hand Axe (stone)
XBP693814 Acheulean Hand Axe (stone) by Paleolithic; Private Collection; Photo eBoltin Picture Library; out of copyright

Piltdown hand axe C016 / 5972
Piltdown rolled flake (item E.613, presented as an early human flint hand axe by the amateur geologist Charles Dawson (1864-1916)

Flint handaxe with fossil echinoid C016 / 6004
Cat of a flint handaxe incorporating a fossil echinoid. Specimen from the Middle Gravels of Swanscombe, Kent

Olduvai biface stone tool C015 / 6433
Olduvai biface stone tool (hand axe). Prehistoric hand axe stone tool being held in a hand. This stone tool was discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Olduvai biface stone tool C015 / 6432
Olduvai biface stone tool (hand axe). Silhouette of a prehistoric hand axe stone tool against the setting Sun. This stone tool was discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Acheulean hand axe C016 / 4837
Acheulean hand axe. Flint hand axe from the Acheulean culture, with a rounded spall (flake) pot-lid split off from a larger rock by frost action

Swanscombe hand axe C013 / 6535
Swanscombe hand axe. One of many hand axes that have been discovered at the Homo neanderthalensis site at Swanscombe, Kent, UK, which was inhabited about 500, 000 to 300, 000 years ago

Hand-axes, blades & harpoon
The two axe-heads on the left are from the Middle Palaeolithic about 40, 000 BC; the three specimens on the right are from the Upper Palaeolithic abot 20, 000 BC (Agfa Film)

Hand-axes & pebble tool
Left to right: Pebble tool from Olduvai about 1.7 million years old; hand-axe about 1 million years old; hand-axe about 350, 000 years old

Hand-Axes

Hand-axe
Flint hand-axe of Acheulian culture (Lower Palaeolithic) with rounded spall pot-lid split by frost action. Specimen from University of London, Institute of Archaeology

Flint hand axe (label)
Photograph of a human-made hand axe, which was discovered in 1859, and is thought to be about 400, 000 years old. This close-up of the label shows the date and initials J.P, for John Prestwich

A Swanscombe Hand Axe
One of many hand axes that have been discovered at the Homo neanderthalensis site of Swanscombe, Kent which was inhabited about 500, 000 to 300, 000 years ago

Flint hand-axe
Late Palaeolithic from Farnham, Surrey, England

1887 Bronze of Sir John Evans antiquiary
Sir John Evans 1887 bronze medal struck in his honour by the Numismatist Society of London, to which he was president. Father of Sir Arthur Evans - the excavator of Minoan Crete

1840 Boucher De Perthes colour portrait
Colour Portrait of Boucher De Perthes. French pioneering archaeologist who discovered in situ prehistoric flint implements in the gravels of the Somme Valley

1697 Grays Inn first British handaxe
Steel plate engraving with later tinting of a handaxe discovered near the bones of an elephant by John Conyers in London 1697

1860 Perthes handaxes, Abbeville, Amiens
Fine lithographic plate with tinting according to the text, of " Predominant forms of flint implements found in the valley of the Somme" from " Artefacta Antiquissima - Geology in its

1863-1867 Changed view of human antiquity
The " Appearnace of Man" from Louis Figuiers Earth Before the Deluge 1863 (above), and below from the same book in its sixth edition of 1867. Engravings by Riou

Joseph Prestwichs Somme human antiquity
Plate from " Theoretical considerations on () the drift deposits containing the remains of extinct mammalia and flint implements", 1864. Phil. Trans Roy Soc 154

Boucher de Perthes wrong hafted handaxes
1860, attribution on the plate. Palaeolithic and mesolithic tools imagined hafted in wooden shafts. In the case of the paleolithic tools this is almost certainly incorrect

1861 Fossil Man by Boitard
M. Boitards drawing of a decidedly simian fossil man was published after his death in the 1861 book " Paris Avant Les Hommes" (engraving by Moreau)

1880s Joseph Prestwich tinted photograph
1890s Joseph Prestwich photograph by Elliot and Fry, Swan electric engraving (with later tinting) being the frontispiece to " Life and Letters of Sir Joseph Prestwich" 1899

1797 First Handaxe John Frere of Hoxne 1
Page 204 and engraving XIV by John Frere in Archaeologia 13, 1800. In June of 1797 Frere wrote to the Society of Antiquaries describing that, in the same month

1855 Joseph Prestwich portrait photograph

Four British Paleolithic handaxes
Four pointed British paleolithic (Mode 2 acheulian) handaxes. These were made from flint (silex) by Homo Heidelbergensis between approximately 400, 000 and 100, 000 years ago

Sir John Evans circa 1895
Sir John Evans photo by Elliot and Fry (17 November 1823 -31 May 1908). Prehistoric archaeologist, numismatist and geologist. Father of Sir Arthur Evans the excavator of Minoan Crete

First tools, three North African handaxes
Three North African paleolithic bifacial Handaxes of Homo heidelbergensis / early H. sapiens dating from between 400, 000 to 100, 000 years ago

Charles Lyell portrait engraving Stoddart
Frontispiece Volume II of the " Life Letters and Journals of Sir Charles Lyell, BART" John Murray publishers 1881. Engraving by Stoddart from a photograph

1863 Lyells Antiquity of Man desktop
Printers page title and frontispiece engraving from Charles Lyells 1863 " The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man" together with a paleolithic flint handaxe from the Thames gravels

William Pengelly geology human antiquity
1881 William Pengelly (12 January 1812-16 March 1894). Walker and Boutall photoengravure after painting by A. S. Cope. Being a Frontispiece with later tinting to " A Memoire of William

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"Unearth the Ancient Artistry: The Flint Hand Axe" Step back in time with the Flint hand-axe C013 / 6640, a remarkable artifact from our Paleolithic past. Crafted meticulously by early humans, this Chellean flint hand-axe (flint) showcases their ingenuity and resourcefulness. Immerse yourself in history as you hold this authentic piece of our ancestors' lives - a tangible connection to the past. This flint hand axe is not just an ordinary tool; it represents the dawn of human civilization and technological advancement. The intricate design of this Paleolithic hand-axe speaks volumes about the skills possessed by these early artisans. Its sharp edges were expertly chipped away to create a versatile tool for hunting, gathering, and survival. What makes this particular Flint handaxe even more extraordinary is its incorporation of a fossil echinoid. Imagine wielding an object that combines both natural beauty and practicality – truly awe-inspiring. Delve into the story behind The Furze Platt Hand Axe - an emblematic relic that has witnessed centuries pass by. It serves as a testament to human adaptability throughout different eras. Intriguingly captured in an 1860s Charles Lyell portrait photo cdv, we catch a glimpse of how esteemed individuals recognized the significance of such artifacts during their time. Transport yourself further back with an Acheulean Hand Axe (stone), another masterpiece from prehistoric times. Feel its weight in your hands as you ponder over how it was used for countless generations before us. This Palaeolithic handaxe holds secrets waiting to be unraveled - each groove telling tales untold. Let your imagination run wild as you contemplate who may have held it before you or what landscapes it once traversed. Discover yet another fascinating find –the Piltdown hand axe C016 / 5972– which adds intrigue to our understanding of ancient civilizations. Uncover the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic artifact.