Hand axes mark an evolutionary advance in human history tools fashioned to function as what Darwinians call fitness signals that is to say, displays that are performances like the peacock's tail, except that, unlike hair and feathers, the hand axes are consciously cleverly crafted.

And the plot really thickens when you realize that, unlike other pleistocene tools, the hand axes often exhibit no evidence of wear on their delicate blade edges.

Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder and he said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done!

And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

These Acheulian hand axes they're named after St. Acheul in France, where finds were made in 19th century have been unearthed in their thousands, scattered across Asia, Europe and Africa, almost everywhere Homo erectus and Homo ergaster roamed.