The Bose (South China) Handaxes

Abstract The Acheulean (1.76 Ma to 0.3–0.2 Ma) industry is characterized by large cutting tools, best represented by bifacially worked implements known as handaxes or bifaces. Their visual symmetry is often associated with hominin spatial cognition and theories of perception. Interestingly, the variables often studied (e.g., bifacial symmetry and refinement) change over time, but at different rates in different geographic regions. This suggests the relation between Acheulean material culture and hominin cognitive evolution is complex; it certainly remains a topic of debate. Stone tool symmetry may be constrained by function or raw material, which can result in an absence of a particular trend or pattern regarding refinement. However, the extension of symmetry possibly indicates deliberate attention to a specific and visually striking aspect of artifactual form. The Early Palaeolithic bifacially worked implements from the Bose Basin in southern China are well known in light of the Movius Line debate and make an excellent test case for addressing these questions. These handaxes were found in association with tektites dated securely to ~0.803 Ma, a relatively early appearance in eastern Asia that makes them particularly interesting. Though overlapping in certain aspects of their morphology with the Western Acheulean, the Bose handaxes differ generally from their Western counterparts. This variability suggests that a more flexible hominin adaptative strategy east of the Movius Line may have contributed more to variation in biface symmetry rather than anything related to hominin cognitive level. Explanations other than simply the level of cognition need to be investigated to better explain variation in these regional handaxe datasets.