Possessing a distinctive almond shape, hand axes were crafted by Neanderthals as sharp-edged tools that could comfortably be held in the palm. Also known as biface axes, the flint tools featured two worked faces with sharp edges that lengthen into a sharpened or pointed end.

The craft of making such axes was passed on across the generations for more than 100,000 years. They were employed for everyday tasks such as chopping wood, digging, cutting, butchering, and preparing animal hides.

Biface axes were also apparently struck against minerals such as pyrite as a way of creating sparks and making fire. This was discovered by researchers at Neanderthal sites in France’s Dordogne Valley in 2018. Examining hand axes associated with the Mousterian culture, the researchers focused on the specific wear patterns that occurred with various uses.

Creating replica biface axes, the researchers struck them at an oblique angle, using the type of strike that produces friction and sparks. The distinctive resulting wear (C-marks, as opposed to circular marks associated with straight-on hammering) matched that on ancient biface axes and suggested that Neanderthals were equipped with the knowledge of how to create fire.