What is a primary feature of the Achulean tool tradition?

The Achulean tool tradition is primarily characterized by the production of distinctive shaped tools, particularly the oval and pear-shaped handaxes. These handaxes represent an advanced level of skill in stone tool making during the Lower Paleolithic period and are associated with our early ancestors, particularly Homo erectus. The design and durability of these tools allowed for a wide range of uses, including butchering animals and processing plant materials. The presence of these characteristic handaxes across various archaeological sites indicates a significant step in technological development and suggests a level of cognitive functioning and cultural behavior among early hominins.

In contrast, other options relate to different tool traditions or materials. The retouching of flakes is more associated with different tool-making strategies not specific to the Achulean. The use of bamboo for tool making and the production of shell tools are practices found in other contexts and cultures, rather than being defining features of the Achulean period.