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Glite Dictionary
🪨 Stone tool era 🪨 Prehistoric tool culture
Acheulean

Acheulean

1 9.9
Relating to ancient stone tools like large hand axes made by early humans
  • adjective
  • /əˈʃuːliən/
  • Specialized
: acheulense
  • The earliest hominid tools that appear to be part of a standardized tool-making tradition were discovered in the same region: hand axes related to the Acheulean culture.

Examples

  • Many significant discoveries of Acheulean tools have been made in East Africa, revealing insights into prehistoric human life.

  • One day, a team member discovered a classic Acheulean hand-ax, five inches long.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Early Acheulean axes, about 1.4 million years old, were found at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, the site made famous by the findings of the archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The archaeologists studied large hand axes from the Acheulean culture to understand early human toolmaking.

  • During their digs, the team unearthed numerous Acheulean artifacts that showcased the advanced craftsmanship of early humans.

Surface Forms

Acheulean positive

Morphology

Acheulean = Acheule + ean

Formed from a place-name base plus the relational suffix '-ean' to name a specific archaeological industry; the meaning is specialized and not derivable by a typical learner from the parts.

Etymology

Acheulean comes from the name of a place, Saint-Acheul in France, where archaeologists first found the large, teardrop-shaped hand axes. So, when we describe something as Acheulean, it means it is 'from Acheul' or related to that old stone-tool style.