British/European 'Handaxe Sculpture' Symbolizing Traditon / h)wolvercote

Wymer (1982: pl. XIV): "Large, finely made plano-convex hand-axe, Acheulian Industry, Wolvercote, Oxford, England (Photograph: Pitt River Museum, Oxford)." Wymer points out many puzzling facts about handaxes that are inexplicable from a merely utilitarian interpretation (103-104). He mentions the puzzle of "large, magnificently made hand-axes which seem too good (Plate XIII-XIV) or too heavy to use" (103).

Pointed Cordiform Acheulian industry, OIS 9, c. 300,000 BP.

Comment. This piece may be interpreted as exquistely designed to represent both the geometric biface 'goddess' in combination with two human profiles on the lower left and right side. The artist left the white cortex to emphasize the two heads, which appear to grow out of each other emerging from the womb-center. As in the preceding handaxe from Swanscombe, this handaxe sculpture combines the motifs of 'head' and 'womb-core-center.'

Photograph © Wymer, J. (1982). The Palaeolithic Age. New York: St. Martin's. Plate XIV.