Science magazine's "Origins" blog is running a little feature by archaeology student Steven Goldstein on how to knap a handaxe.
I’ve had a lifelong interest in archaeology, and to better understand the process of making chipped stone tools, I began teaching myself how to replicate them. I started with Oldowan tools and eventually moved up to Neolithic and New World materials. Here’s what I do, and what I think, while I make an Acheulean hand ax, which early humans created about 1 million years ago.
On the same topic, I continue to recommend Tony Baker's site, which takes a practical view of stone tool production from the perspective of an experienced knapper. His Acheulean essay in particular is a thought-provoking exposition of the idea that handaxes were flake cores rather than finished artifacts.
