Editing Hand axe (section)

==Types==
It is possible to distinguish multiple types of hand axe:
{| align=center
|[[File:Monofaz Achelense.png|thumb|upright=.71|{{center|Uniface hand axe.}}]]
|[[File:Bifaz parcial-El-Lombo.png|thumb|{{center|Partial biface.}}]]
|}
*Uniface—flaked on one face with cortex completely covering the other side. This characteristic does not disqualify such tools as hand axes and gives no indication of their age.
*Partial biface—The cortex is present on the tool's base and central part. The overall area that is not knapped may extend to up to two thirds of its length.
*Bifaces with basal cortex coverage—Only the artefact's base is covered with cortex, which does not cover more than a third of total length. In some cases the cortex is present on both the base and one side, thereby affecting one edge: such tools are called "natural backed".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RhXls6ublWEC&q=203 |title=Palaeolithic Sites of Crimea, Vol 3 Part 2, Kabazi V: Interstratification of Micoquian and Levallois – Mousterian Camp Sites |publisher=University of Cologne |year=2008 |isbn=978-966-650-231-8 |editor1-first=Victor |editor1-last=Chabai |page=203 |editor2-first=Jürgen |editor2-last=Richter |editor3-first=Thorsten |editor3-last=Uthmeier}}</ref> De Mortillet emphasised the importance of the presence or absence of the cortex around the edge in the 19th century: "Even on some of the best worked pieces it is common to see, sometimes on the base but more often on the side, a small area that has not been worked, that is uncut. It could be thought that this is a mistake or an error. But often the most probable reason for this is that it was intentional. There are a large number of hand axes with an uncut base, unworked or partially cleaned ... an area has intentionally been left on these pieces as a grip, it is called the heel. This heel acts as a handle as it is easy to grip".<ref>{{cite book|author=Gabriel de Mortillet|title=Le Préhistorique. Antiquité de l'homme|year=1883|publisher=Bibliothèque des Sciences Contemporaines. Paris|page=139}} (''Heel'' is no longer used to refer to hand axes with an unworked base; instead the actual part of the flake is named.)</ref> (This hypothesis remains unproven and is not commonly used.)
{| align=center
|[[File:Bifaz de los Tablazos.png|thumb|Hand axe with unworked base.]]
|[[File:Bifaz de dorso-Rincon.png|thumb|upright=.93|Biface with a lateral back.]]
|}
*Hand axes with residual cortex on an edge—The whole of their edges are knapped except for a small area where the cortex remains (leaving a small area without a sharp edge). This area can be at the base, side or oblique. In all cases it is small, leaving cutting edges on both sides.
*Hand axes with a cutting edge around the whole circumference—The circumference is knapped to a cutting edge, although some residual areas of cortex may persist on either face, without affecting the cutting edge's effectiveness.