Tools & manufacturing · c. 1.8 million years ago

Acheulean hand axe

A symmetrical, planned tool shaped on both faces.

Homo erectus in East Africa began shaping large bifaces about 1.75 million years ago. The design persisted for over a million years across Africa, Europe and Asia, showing forethought and teachable technique.

See it in the living tree Wikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 1

First stone tools 3.3M years ago

What it led to 4

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

World population over a million years Latest: 6.27k million people (2000) Source: DeLong 1998, table 'Total World Population' (Kremer series); Kremer 1993, Population Growth and Technological Change: One Million B.C. to 1990, QJE 108(3)

World GDP over a million years Latest: 41k billion 1990 international $ (2000) Source: DeLong 1998, Estimating World GDP, One Million B.C. - Present; Wikipedia: Gross world product (DeLong table, cross-check)