"The transition from hand-held to hafted tool technology marked a significant shift in conceptualising the construction and function of tools."
"It is assumed that addition of a handle improved the (bio)mechanical properties of a tool and upper limb by offering greater amounts of leverage, force and precision."
"The University of Liverpool recruited 40 volunteers and gave them a range of tools, including a chopping implement in the form of a hatchet with a steel head and a wooden handle."
"Participants were told to use the tools with their handles, as well as after the handles had been removed."
Early humans began using tools 2.6 million years ago, but the introduction of handles to stone tools occurred around 500,000 years ago. This innovation significantly improved energy efficiency, force, and precision in tool use. Researchers from the University of Liverpool conducted experiments with volunteers using hafted tools and found that handles provided greater leverage and effectiveness. The transition to hafted tools marked a crucial development in the evolution of tool technology, predating the invention of the wheel by several hundred thousand years.
Read at Mail Online
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