The symmetry of Acheulean handaxes and cognitive evolution

The significance of symmetry to understanding the cognitive profile of the hominins responsible for making Acheulean handaxes has been contentious. Recent finds and analytical techniques have allowed a reassessment of the relevance of symmetry to evaluating the cognition of archaic humans by highlighting differences in the shape of Early to Late Acheulean bifaces. In this paper, I critically examine issues regarding the symmetry of handaxes as well as models of cognitive evolution that refer to the structure of Acheulean bifaces.