I wonder how transportable were Acheulean handaxes. On the one hand it required quite a lot of efforts to make them to throw away often. On the other, they are found in very large quantities, and many seemingly not broken or worn out, but just abandoned while usable. I think it is an interesting question related to mobility of paleolithic people in general.
Very interesting area of research. Varies a lot from place to place—in some places the materials are hyperabundant and you see many less finished products, in other places more intensive resharpening and alteration of single artifacts throughout a use life. There were some quarries where the hominins came from miles around to get their stone, and other places that seem to have been caches where they left tools often, knowing they could always pick one up when they needed it.
I wonder how transportable were Acheulean handaxes. On the one hand it required quite a lot of efforts to make them to throw away often. On the other, they are found in very large quantities, and many seemingly not broken or worn out, but just abandoned while usable. I think it is an interesting question related to mobility of paleolithic people in general.
Very interesting area of research. Varies a lot from place to place—in some places the materials are hyperabundant and you see many less finished products, in other places more intensive resharpening and alteration of single artifacts throughout a use life. There were some quarries where the hominins came from miles around to get their stone, and other places that seem to have been caches where they left tools often, knowing they could always pick one up when they needed it.