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Biface

ca. 600,000–150,000 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 370
This is one of the very few Paleolithic bifaces discovered in Great Britain whose exceptional sizes and condition suggest that they were not intended as tools, but created and prized for their monumental and aesthetic qualities. The large flaked removals are characteristic of the Acheulean lithic industry, which represents the first standardized tradition of toolmaking of Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Biface
  • Date: ca. 600,000–150,000 BCE
  • Culture: Acheulean
  • Medium: Flint
  • Dimensions: L. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm); W. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm); D. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 12.9 oz. (1271 g)
  • Classification: Tools
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Arms and Armor Gifts, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.422
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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700,000–200,000 BCE
Biface, Flint, Acheulean
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Acheulean
700,000–200,000 BCE
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