Assessing the Role of Early “Large Cutting Tools” in Flake Production: an Experimental Comparison of Early Acheulean Handaxe and Oldowan Core Manufacture

Abstract

The Acheulean has long been defined by its characteristic large bifacial implements (“Large Cutting Tools”), which appear from its very beginning. While experimental work attests to the usefulness of these tools in heavy-duty cutting tasks, the morphology of these experimental tools is often very different to Early Acheulean forms, with use-wear confirmation of their deployment at this time extremely patchy. This leaves open the potential for other explanations of biface innovation, including that they evolved as a specialized core form. Here, a dedicated methodology for the comparison of Oldowan-like cores and Early Acheulean-like bifaces is presented, alongside a preliminary analysis of changes to core morphology throughout the knapping process. The results highlight some key differences in the metric variables under consideration, that may have implications for later analysis of flake morphology. This paper also serves to discuss potential limitations of the method that could be addressed in future replications.