Question:

Which one of the following is not a description of Hand axe?

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Acheulian Handaxe Characteristics:
- Handheld core tool (no hafting handle).
- Bifacial flaking with a biconvex profile.
- Thick, rounded butt for direct palm grip.
Updated On: Sep 4, 2026
  • It is a core tool
  • Bifacial flaking
  • Butt end is elongated for hafting to a wooden handle
  • Biconvex in profile view
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Concept:
The handaxe (coup-de-poing) is the defining tool type of the Acheulian techno-complex of the Lower Paleolithic Period.
First manufactured by Homo erectus, handaxes were multi-purpose core tools used for butchering, processing plants, and digging.
This question asks to identify the morphological feature that does NOT describe an Acheulian handaxe.

Step 1: Typological Characteristics of Acheulian Handaxes:

1. Core Tool: Handaxes were made primarily on stone cores, nodules, or large flakes, where the parent pebble was trimmed into shape.
2. Bifacial Flaking: Flakes were removed symmetrically from both faces (dorsal and ventral) to create a sharp cutting perimeter.
3. Biconvex Profile: Symmetrical flaking from both sides produces a lenticular or biconvex cross-section in profile view.

Step 2: Evaluating Grip and Hafting Morphology:

Lower Paleolithic handaxes were handheld tools held directly in the user's palm.
The butt end was deliberately rounded, thickened, or retained smooth pebble cortex to ensure a comfortable manual grip without injuring the hand.
They did not have an elongated or tang-like butt engineered for hafting to wooden handles; composite hafting technology appeared much later during the Middle/Upper Paleolithic.

Step 3: Final Answer:

An elongated butt end designed for hafting is not a feature of Lower Paleolithic handaxes.
Therefore, Option (C) is the correct answer.
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