Welcome to PalaeoSTAr (the Palaeolithic Stone Tool Archive), a digital repository for 3D models of Palaeolithic stone tool artefacts. Its aim is to facilitate collaborative research initiatives exploring the study of Palaeolithic material culture and to allow visitors to view and learn about objects from deep prehistory that are often not on display. In doing so, it highlights the diversity and variability within the artefacts that form the Palaeolithic record.
Stemming from the AHRC-funded Digital Technological, Acheulean handaxes and the Social Landscapes of the Lower Palaeolithic project (2023–2026), PalaeoSTAr currently houses several thousand digital models primarily relating to the Lower Palaeolithic (Acheulean) of Britain. Our intention is to expand this initial dataset through future research, with the aim of encompassing the full range of Palaeolithic periods and adding artefacts from across the globe.
Alongside associated metrical and typological information, digital representations of artefacts can be manipulated using the interactive 3D viewer that accompanies each record. High-resolution digital models and their accompanying data can be freely downloaded for research purposes under a CC-BY-NC-ND licence by registered users. Models are copyright Durham University unless otherwise stated. Copyright of individual artefacts is retained by their host institutions. For more information about licensing, please see our FAQs page.