Acheulian Large Flake Industries: Technology, Chronology and Significance

The Acheulian culture, which persisted for over one and a half million years, is attested in diverse environments and over wide geographical expanses. The hallmark of Acheulian culture is its large cutting tools, primarily handaxes and cleavers. Indeed, the culture itself was named after the site of St. Acheul on the terraces of the Somme River, France, where handaxes were first identified as prehistoric stone tools, an identification supported by finds from the Thames Valley. Large cutting...