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Particularly Homo erectus. Acheulean refers to a distinctive style of stone tool manufacturing Produced during the palaeolithic era, across Africa; much of west Asia, south Asia, east Asia; and, Europe

It includes at least the early part of the middle paleolithic
It existed over 1 million years ago, derived from the more primitive oldowan technology, and, associated with the homo habilis. (1) Acheulean technologies primary innovation was that both sides were worked symmetrically.

In 1797, John Frere is credited as the first to suggest a very ancient date for the tools (2)

It is characterized by the production of large, teardrop-shaped handaxes, cleavers, and other bifacial tools
Typically made by flaking both sides of a stone core. These tools were used for various tasks such as butchering animals, processing plants, and shaping wooden materials. It represents a significant technological advancement. That is often considered a hallmark of early human cultural evolution.

Almost 130 years after John Freres discovery at Hoxne in Suffolk, by the mid 1920s, the technology was named Acheulean

It’s believed to have originated in Africa and spread to Asian, the middle Eastern, and Europe sometime between 1.5 million and about 800 thousand years ago (3)(4)

They were just stone tools but its process was carefully involved. It included: material selection, core preparation, flaking, bifacial flaking, edge retouching and finishing. A basic method for making stone tools that was shared across much of the old world

1) Suitable raw materials were selected
Typically better materials were hard stones. Flint, quartzite, or chert. They could be easily shaped and maintained with a sharp edge.

2) Stone would be shaped into a core

3) Flakes were struck off using hammer stones or other percussive tools
Stone is further shaped to create desired tool (axes, cleavers, other bifical tools)

4) Both sides of the tool are worked to create a symmetrical shape and edge. Called ‘bifacial’

5) Once the general tool shape is formed. Edges are retouched to sharpen, and refine a cutting service

6) It maybe ground, smoothed or polished to improve its usability

Typically a large, teardrop-shaped hand axe tool was created. With sharp edges that can be resharpened
Shapes included: pointed, cordate, ovate, ficron, and bout-coupé. There were hand-axes, cleavers, retouched flakes, scrapers, and
segmental chopping tools.

Did you know? Hand axes fro Spain were dated to more than 900,000 years ago (4)

What didn’t they use them for?
Theories range. From those in search of a mate. To use as a projectile. And, for carving spears, making other tools and for shelter. Whatever necessary in terms of survival.

Acheulean, and its corresponding tool-making technology represents a significant advancement. It demonstrates cognitive abilities from the paleolithic. The purpose of hand axes is multi-functional. They were likely used for tasks such as butchering animals, cutting plants, digging, woodworking, and even hunting. The symmetrical shape, and sharp edges made them effective tools for a wide range of activities. Demonstrating the sophistication of behaviour; and, adaptability of earths early population(s).

Cite: 1) Margherita Mussi; et al. (Oct 12, 2023). “Early Homo erectus lived at high altitudes and produced both Oldowan and Acheulean tools” (https://hal.science/hal-04239932). Science. 382 (6671): 713–Bibcode:2023Sci…382..713M (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023Sci…382..713M).
doi:10.1126/science.add9115 (https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.add9115). PMID 37824630 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37824630). S2CID 263971011 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:263971011)

2) Frere, John, Account of Flint Weapons discovered at Hoxne in Suffolk, in Archaeologia, vol. 13, 1800.

3) Goren-Inbar, N.; Feibel, C. S.; Verosub, K. L.; Melamed, Y.; Kislev, M. E.; Tchernov, E.; Saragusti, I. (2000). “Pleistocene Milestones on the Out-of-Africa Corridor at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, Israel”. Science. 289 (5481): 944–947. Bibcode:2000Sci…289..944G (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2
000Sci…289..944G). doi:10.1126/science.289.5481.944 (https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.289.5481.944). PMID 10937996 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10937996)

4) Scott, Gary R.; Gibert, Luis (September 2009). “The oldest hand-axes in Europe”. Nature. 461 (7260): 82–85. Bibcode:2009Natur.461…82S (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009Natur.461…82S). doi:10.1038/nature08214 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnature08214). PMID 19727198 (http
s://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19727198). S2CID 205217591 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:205217591)

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