Palaeolithic hand axe. The flint axe was used by hominids (early humans) for a wide range of purposes, such as butchering animals and carving wood. Flint was a versatile rock that could be knapped into many tools, such as arrow and spear heads for hunting. Flint knapping is the process where a lump of flint is shaped into a tool by repeatedly chipping off small flakes. Striking a piece of flint also produced the spark needed to start a fire. Palaeolithic people lived in the Pleistocene epoch (about 1.8 million years ago to 11,550 years ago). This hand axe was found in North Africa.