Inventory #:

296

Type:

Handaxe

Material:

Silicified Fontmaure Jasper

Period:

Middle Paleolithic Period (Mousterian) 80,000 - 40,000 years ago

Provenance:

Fontmaure, West Central France

Measurements:

13 cm x 6.8 cm

This is a very unusual handaxe found at this well-known site famous for its bright-colored jasper artifacts. This type of lithic is unusual the the crude form of the handaxe is most likely attributed to the extremely tough nature of the stone in shaping it. An obvious proximal end facet is present which is typical of earlier Acheulian handaxes to distribute impact comfortably across the palm as the axe is used.