Great fun at #ESHE2025 presenting on how handaxe shape can inform discussions of African demography in the Early and Middle Pleistocene! While we have very few fossils or genetic data for this period, handaxe shape may carry a signal that can help to constrain biogeographic models - more to come!

We argue that there is a clear structure to Early Acheulean variation that goes beyond localised activity in individual landscapes, which relates to consistent activity variants and patterns of landscape use /3

In this paper, we collate published technological information on lithic assemblages from the Early Acheulean (1.8-1.2 Ma), and examine the relationship between different lithic variables, as well as the total structure of variation /2

Had a great time presenting at #TAG45 in the experimental archaeology session fantastically organised by @helenshampton.bsky.social and Andy Needham! I used the Oldowan-Acheulean transition to argue we shouldn’t forget macroevolutionary patterns have microevolutionary roots!

@tag45.bsky.social

For this #FlintFriday, we have a collection of artefacts from the old excavations of Notarchirico at the wonderful municipal archaeological museum in Venosa. The bifaces are now known to be amongst the oldest Europe!

For #FlintFriday this week, here is a handaxe from Amiens (St Acheul?) in the Natural History Museum of Beijing - one of my favourite reminders of the vast differences bifaces have moved, both in the ancient past and the recent past!

It already seems much more peaceful over here! To mark the start of my BlueSky journey, here is a beautiful handaxe from Nadaouiyeh Aïn Askar for #FlintFriday