Saudi archaeologists have discovered what could be the world’s largest prehistoric axe. The stone tool is 51. 3 centimeters long and, despite its size, according to a statement, can be held gently with both hands.
A foreign team of researchers discovered the basalt punch in the Qurh plain, just south of AlUla, a region in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Both sides of the awl have been sharpened, suggesting that it may have been used simply for cutting or chopping. However, it is still unclear exactly how this stone tool was used and of what species, e. g. Homo erectus, or Homo sapiens, did it.
It’s also unclear how old the tool is, as “the biface requires much more study to determine an exact date,” Ömer Can Aksoy, an archaeologist and director of the excavation project, told WordsSideKick. com in an email. The equipment discovered at the site may date back 200,000 years, depending on the team’s assessment of its shape and characteristics. So it’s conceivable that the awl also dates back to the Lower or Middle Paleolithic, Aksoy said.
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The researchers almost missed the massive hand axe, which measures 9. 5 cm wide and 5. 7 cm thick. “It’s the last 15 minutes of our daily paintings and it’s a hot day,” Aksoy said. “Two members of our team discovered the giant biface resting on the surface of a sand dune. “
After listening to the calls from the team members, the rest of the team joined them and searched deep into the domain. “We’ve recorded another thirteen bifaces at the site,” Aksoy said. “Every member of the team got rid of their yellow vests. to highlight the location of the location above the sand dune. “
While the other recently discovered hand axes were similar in style, they were smaller in size. “After the initial excitement over the discovery of this remarkable object, we conducted an initial search to see if any other items of similar size had been found. “Aksoy said. Even if the search for giant axes continues, “this may be one of the longest,” he said.
Investigations in the Qurh Plain are ongoing. The 2023 bowling season, which runs from October to December, has ended. Archaeological paintings are expected to resume in the winter and spring of 2024.
Laura is a specialist in archaeology and small mysteries of life at Live Science. It also offers an overview of science in general, especially paleontology. His paintings have appeared in The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science, and Spectrum, a site about autism research. He has won several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Editors Association for his reporting in a weekly newspaper near Seattle. Laura holds a B. A. in English Literature and Psychology from Washington University in St. John’s. John’s. Louis and a master’s degree in clinical writing from NYU.
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