Acheulian

/ əˈʃuːlɪən; -jən /

noun

1. (in Europe) the period in the Lower Palaeolithic following the Abbevillian, represented by the use of soft hammerstones in hand axe production made of chipped stone, bone, antler, or wood. The Acheulian dates from the Riss glaciation
2. (in Africa) the period represented by every stage of hand axe development

adjective

1. of or relating to this period

Acheulian

/ ə-sho̅o̅′lē-ən /

1. Relating to a stage of tool culture of the Lower Paleolithic Period, dating from around 1.5 million to 150,000 years ago, characterized especially by flaked bifacial hand axes, cleavers, and other core tools . The earliest Acheulian tools have been found at African sites associated with Homo erectus fossils. Later examples have been found at numerous sites in the Middle East, Europe, and western and southern Asia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Acheulian¹

C20: after St Acheul, town in northern France

Example Sentences

Acheulian, a term applied by archologists to the late stage of Chellean civilization in the Pleistocene Age.

From Project Gutenberg