Hand axes were used by prehistoric man during the Stone Age for various tasks such as chopping wood and cutting meat. They were made of flint, quartz, or other stones and were the most widely used cutting device in human history. Hand axes varied in size and shape and were used for food preparation, defense, and ritual ceremonies. They are distinct from modern wooden-handled axes.
A hand ax is a handheld tool with a sharp edge used primarily by prehistoric man during the Stone Age. Usually, these tools were made of flint, quartz, coarse rocks, or other stones that didn’t break easily. A hand ax was probably used for a variety of tasks, such as chopping wood and cutting meat. Hand axes were made in a variety of shapes, the most common being an almond shape. Some axes were rounder or more triangular in shape.
According to some archaeological estimates, the hand ax was the most widely used cutting device in human history. The use of hand ax tools is estimated to date back to the Lower Paleolithic (Acheulean) and Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian). Evidence of ancient hand axes has been found mainly in Europe, Africa and northern Asia.
Hand axes vary in size: from a couple of inches long (about five cm) to a foot or more (about 30 cm). Most hand axes, however, are about six to seven inches long (about 15-18 cm). A hand ax was usually designed with an eccentric center of gravity; in other words, it had a center of gravity. It also had a hard edge around all or most of its edges.
Originally, a hand ax was probably formed by beating a rock with a stone hammer. These early examples are often thicker with curvier edges. Later, these axes were probably fashioned using hardwood. Later axes are usually thinner and more symmetrical with a straighter edge.
Hand axes are believed to have been used by primitive Stone Age people just like a modern Swiss Army knife is used today. Generally, a hand ax blade was used in food preparation, mainly for scraping animal hides and cutting through meat, marrow, and tough root vegetables. Cutting or hammering wood and bone and digging holes are other possible functions. The tool may also have been used as a defense mechanism against wild animals or in ritual ceremonies.
Hand axes are distinct from wooden-handled axes, which are widely used in modern times. A wood-handled ax is a device that comes in many shapes and sizes, but usually consists of a steel ax head attached to a wooden handle. It has a wide range of uses, although it is mainly used for cutting lumber or chipping wood. Wooden-handled axes are also often considered a ceremonial symbol and were used as weapons in battle.
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