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Prehistoric Artefact Palaeolithic Acheulean Surmounted Hand Axe
$5,921.88
£4,398
€5,186.19
CA$8,203.96
A$9,201.29
CHF 4,818.57
MX$111,804.67
NOK 61,187.82
SEK 58,010.37
DKK 38,712.22
About the Item
Type: Paleolithic Acheulean Hand Axe
Age: Lower & Middle Paleolithic, 1.7 million to 300,000 years
Origin: Northern Sahara Desert, Morocco, North West Africa
Axe: 22.5 x 11 x 4.5 cm
In stand: 30 x 11 x 5 cm
KG: 1.402
This superb Acheulean hand axe stands as a testament to the technological ingenuity of early hominins. Fashioned by Homo ergaster nearly one million years ago, it represents one of humanity’s earliest expressions of intentional design and functional symmetry. Homo ergaster, a direct African ancestor of modern humans, was a contemporary of Homo erectus populations in Europe and Asia, and is credited with the refinement of Acheulean tool-making traditions across the African continent.
Carved from fine-grained stone with skill and purpose, the hand axe exhibits the classic teardrop form associated with the Acheulean tradition, bifacially flaked to produce sharp, durable edges, perfectly suited to cut with precision. Its near-pristine condition offers extraordinary insight into the cognitive and motor skills of its maker, combining utility with a striking aesthetic symmetry that some researchers interpret as an early sense of form and balance.
The axe was discovered in the vast and windswept expanse of the Western Sahara Desert, an environment whose arid stability has preserved it in remarkable condition. Over countless millennia, its surface acquired a rich desert patina, subtle and mineralised, shaped by the abrasive action of sand and time. This region, lying near the southern reaches of Algeria and bordering Mali and Niger, remains largely uninhabited. Yet it is here, amidst the shifting sands of the Ténéré, that nomadic Berber tribes and desert explorers occasionally encounter open-air Palaeolithic sites, where such tools lie undisturbed beneath the surface.
Now presented in a custom bronze cradled stand, this artefact may be removed for study while remaining securely housed. The cradle's minimal form accentuates the elegance of the tool itself, allowing both scholars and collectors to appreciate the hand axe not only as a utilitarian object but as an enduring symbol of early human innovation.
- Dimensions:Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)Width: 4.34 in (11 cm)Depth: 1.97 in (5 cm)
- Style:Prehistoric (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:Algeria
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:35,000 yrs ago
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Beautifully surmounted to museum standard mounts by our in-house team, every object is custom-fitted to its mount or stand. Like a bespoke Saville row suit, the fit is unique. We guarantee and supply our authentication certificates for every item.
- Seller Location:Scorton, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9995241954562
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