Identifying hand axes
The Palaeolithic multi-tool — pear-shaped, worked on both faces.
The classic Acheulean hand axe is worked on both faces (bifacial) into a pear, oval, or pointed form with a sinuous sharp edge most of the way around. They sit heavy and purposeful in the palm — hundreds of thousands of years old, and among the oldest objects anyone will ever hold.
Genuine worked flint shows conchoidal flake scars: ripple marks radiating from struck points, negative flake beds overlapping in sequence. Natural frost-shattered flint mimics rough shapes but lacks ordered scars and the deliberate edge line. Patina — white, ochre, or glossy — plus rolled edges speak to age and river transport.
Findspot is everything: hand axes from gravel terraces are datable by their geology. Record the exact spot privately, note patina and edge condition, and measure length, breadth, and thickness. If it came from a quarry or building aggregate, say so — honesty about context keeps the record useful.