Dig It - 1/29/24
Hello Seekers! Today, we are going to take the Way-Way Back Machine to a time when all men, Black, White, Red, and Yellow were the same, or nearly so. These are Acheulean “Hand Axes” and some Archaeologists date them back as far as 1.7 Million years. These were made by our common ancestors Homo erects and our later more direct ancestor Homo sapiens.
The name Acheulean comes from the site, Saint-Acheul in France, where this type of artifact was first described. I think the safer dates for these artifacts is from 1.5 million years to roughly 150,000 years ago. It is conservative to say that this tool was used and produced, with very little change in form, for over a million years. These days, if Apple does not come out with a new innovation every year humans think the world is coming to an end.
Hand axes were made from flints, cherts, jaspers, and quartzite and were an all purpose tool - sort of the Swiss Army knife of the early Paleolithic. The sharp edges suggest these were used primarily to process kills/meat, dismembering carcasses, and perhaps working on hides. Some scientists believe it was man’s carnivorous nature that helped him to develop his large brain size, something for vegans and vegetarians to consider.
The Acheulean Hand Axe was widely distributed across the continents of Europe, Africa and to a somewhat lesser extent, Asia. I believe that our ancestors, besides making practical choices on the stones they used to make the axes, also made aesthetic choices. For example, the axe on the far right made of brown and white chert is a thing of beauty. Well Seekers, I think I’ve said enough and it is going to take the Way Way Back Machine a long time to get home, so Adios and Seek Out! -Lonesome