Hand axe

The hand axes is a simple but multifunctional tool. Prehistoric man gained a clear advantage in his struggle for survival by using sharped-edged rocks as tools and weapons. At first, naturally chipped pieces were simply picked up as needed, but in time man learned to intentionally create suitable shapes. Hand axes first appear in Africa and the Near East some 1.5 million years ago. In Europe, they were used from c. 400 000 – 43 000 BC. This hand-held flint axe was found in 1939 in the course of road construction work in Hoengeda / Thuringia.