Articles tagged with Stone Tools
The Powars II site in eastern Wyoming has been confirmed as the oldest documented red ocher mine in North and South America, dating back nearly 13,000 years. The excavation uncovered thousands of Paleoindian artifacts, including projectile points and shell beads.
A recent study published in Genome Biology and Evolution found that ancient human remains from Bulgaria are more closely related to contemporary East Asians than Europeans. The researchers propose a scenario where an African population hub expanded into Europe and East Asia around 45,000 years ago, with the European representatives dec...
Researchers analyzed Châtelperronian tools in the Iberian Peninsula, finding evidence of local Neandertal extinction and replacement even before Homo sapiens arrived. The tool complex suggests older Iberian Neandertals disappeared, replaced by new groups using Châtelperronian technology.
A new study at Tel Aviv University reveals prehistoric humans collected and recycled old stone tools, mostly to preserve the memory of their ancestors. The researchers propose that they had an emotional urge to collect old human-made artefacts, as a means for maintaining connectedness with place and time.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 40,000-year-old culture in northern China that showcases unique stone tools and ochre processing techniques. The discovery provides new insights into cultural innovation during the expansion of Homo sapiens populations.
Researchers from China, Germany, France and Spain uncovered the lifestyle of humans living in East Asia 40,000 years ago. The study found evidence of ochre processing, miniature stone tools and bone tools, demonstrating technological innovations and cultural diversification.
Professor Wil Roebroeks receives the 2021 Gutenberg Research Award for his groundbreaking work on Neanderthals and early Eurasian hominins. The award acknowledges his interdisciplinary approach, international collaboration, and devotion to paleoanthropology.
In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers found that untrained captive orangutans can complete two major steps in making and using stone tools: striking rocks together and cutting using sharp stones. This suggests that the use of stone tools may have existed in our last common ancestor with orangutans 13 million years ago.
A team of researchers has extracted and analyzed ancient proteins and DNA from nearly 4,000 bone fragments at Denisova Cave, yielding five human bones with intact biomolecules, dating back to 200,000 years ago. The findings provide robust insights into the first occupants of the cave and their archaeological signature.
A new study published in Communications Biology found a significant connection between visual gaze and motor skills learning, as participants learned to make stone tools through video training. The researchers discovered that the connection evolved over time, with certain phases of learning being more closely tied to gaze patterns.
A recent study published in PaleoAmerica journal challenges the long-held theory that Native Americans originated from Japan. The research, led by Professor Richard Scott, analyzed genetics and skeletal biology of teeth samples from multiple continents, finding little connection between the Jomon people and Native Americans.
A new study reveals the persistence of human ancestors at the margins of the monsoon in India until approximately 177,000 years ago. This finding supports the presence of Acheulean populations in the region and provides crucial insights into the environmental conditions that allowed them to thrive.
Researchers found that dough mixing vats and millstones from Roman-era ruins were made from specific rock types that improved each tool's function. The stones were sourced locally, challenging a theory that some millstones were imported from Italy.
Researchers at Arizona State University have discovered a worked bone assemblage found near the Atlantic Coast of Morocco dating back to 120,000 years ago, suggesting the manufacture of clothing during this period. The find provides strong evidence for the emergence of complex culture and specialized tool manufacture in early humans.
The discovery of bone tools in Contrebandiers Cave, Morocco, dating back to 120,000-90,000 years ago, provides strong evidence for the manufacture of clothing during this period. The tools, which showed signs of skinning for furs and pelts, are similar to leather working tools found in other archaeological records.
Research in Saudi Arabia reveals multiple pulses of increased rainfall transformed the arid region into a hospitable route for human population movements. The discovery of thousands of stone tools shows changing human culture over time, documenting transition from Lower Palaeolithic Acheulean to Middle Palaeolithic technologies.
A new study highlights the need for a national policy to protect submerged Indigenous sites, which are at risk due to climate change, dredging, and seabed mining. Archaeological discoveries off the Pilbara coastline in Western Australia have uncovered ancient stone tools, rock art, and engravings dating back over 7,000 years.
Researchers propose widespread cultural diffusion of fire use and stone tool technology occurred around 400,000 years ago. This finding suggests that hominin populations were exchanging genes and engaging in cultural interactions, contradicting independent invention theories.
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals evidence of an early transition to the Upper Paleolithic period in the Levant, dating back 50,000 years. The shift is marked by changes in stone tool production and is thought to have coincided with the arrival of Homo sapiens.
Researchers analyzed stone tools from graves in central Europe, finding that men were buried with tools used for woodwork, butchery, hunting, or violence, while women were buried with tools used on animal hides. This study provides new insights into the rise of gender inequalities in the Neolithic period.
Researchers found differences in tool size, weight, and raw material dependent on sex, with women's tools linked to animal skin work and men's to hunting. This suggests that gendered roles played a crucial part in the transition to farming.
Researchers have found that Oldowan and Acheulean stone tool technologies are likely to be tens of thousands of years older than previously thought. Using statistical modeling techniques, the study estimates the origins of these early stone tools at 2.617-2.644 million years ago for Oldowan and 1.815-1.823 million years ago for Acheulean.
Research reveals the Acheulean stone tool tradition persisted for tens of thousands of years longer than thought, overlapping with Neanderthal and early modern human cultures. The study used statistical techniques to reconstruct the end of the Acheulean period, shedding new light on the transition between technologies.
A team of researchers characterized the tools used by bearded capuchin monkeys in Brazil's Serra da Capivara National Park. The study found that different activities created unique use-wear marks on the tools, allowing for identification of their purpose and usage.
A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that Neanderthals used the same Nubian Levallois technology as Homo sapiens, pushing the southernmost known range of Neanderthals. The analysis of a fossil tooth and associated archaeological assemblage suggests a mixing ground between populations.
A recent study reveals that increased manual dexterity in hominins emerged around 2 million years ago, significantly impacting the development of complex human culture. This finding suggests a crucial element underlying biocultural evolution.
Researchers developed a neural network to distinguish between Middle and Late Stone Age assemblages by analyzing frequent tool combinations. The study found that the combined occurrence of backed pieces, blade technologies, and absence of core tools reliably identifies Late Stone Age assemblages.
Researchers found distinctive fluted points in Yemen and Oman, dating back to the Neolithic period. The similar yet distinct fluting techniques suggest cultural convergence or independent invention of this advanced technology.
A new international study has found evidence of stone tools dating back at least 30,000 years to the first human immigration to America. The discovery was made in a Mexican mountain cave and pushes the estimated arrival time back by approximately 15,000 years.
The discovery of Chiquihuite Cave in northern Mexico challenges the long-held theory that the Clovis people were the first human inhabitants of the Americas. The site dates back to 25,000-30,000 years ago, revealing a new narrative on the colonization of the Americas.
A 1.4-million-year-old bone handaxe from Konso, Ethiopia, showcases deliberate shaping and cutting activities of early Homo species. The discovery expands the known technological repertoire of Acheulean tool production, highlighting advanced flaking techniques used on bone.
At 1.1 million years ago, early human inhabitants of the Nihewan Basin developed novel technological innovations to cope with strengthened aridification and changing environmental conditions. These advancements provided benefits to early hominin populations in China, highlighting their adaptability.
Researchers found that Neanderthals in Southern Siberia originated from various European populations, including those from Central and Eastern Europe. The study used DNA analysis of Neanderthal bones and sediments to reconstruct the migration route.
Researchers at the University of Kent and UCL found that early Stone Age populations selected raw materials for different tool types based on sharpness, durability, and efficiency. They made optimized tools by choosing materials suited to specific functional needs, maximizing performance and 'ease-of-use'.
New study reveals earliest microliths in South Asia and any rainforest environment worldwide, alongside tree-dwelling monkeys and tropical plants. The toolkits date back to 48,000-45,000 years ago and suggest the ecological flexibility of early Homo sapiens.
A new study reveals that early humans crafted tiny flint tools from recycled materials to perform delicate tasks such as tendon separation and meat carving. These tools played a vital role in ancient human survival strategies, showcasing a refined and thoughtful approach to animal butchery.
Researchers from UNM led a study in Belize to identify and establish an absolute chronology for the earliest stone tool types indigenous to Central America, revealing strong ties between lowland Neotrop regions at the onset of the Holocene. The findings support previous research on genetic relationships between early colonists in Centr...
Researchers have discovered evidence of Neanderthals using adhesive on their stone tools, known as hafting, in two Italian caves. The discovery suggests that Neanderthals were capable of crafting more complex tools and may have even built fires to warm the resin.
Researchers discovered ancient stone tools in Ethiopia, older than previously known evidence, suggesting that humans invented stone tools multiple times throughout history. The tools, dated to around 2.6 million years ago, show a significant shift in tool-making skills and accuracy, highlighting the complex origins of human innovation.
Researchers discovered a technologically distinct site with systematic flaked tool production, extending the history of such tools to around 2.61 million years ago. This finding suggests that stone tool production may have been reinvented multiple times in the past.
A new paper proposes that miniaturization is a central tendency in hominin technologies going back at least 2.6 million years. The researchers argue that tiny stone flakes were like disposable razor blades or paperclips, pervasive and easily replaced.
Researchers used data from Olmsted County, Minnesota to develop an online prediction tool that predicts the likelihood of future kidney stone episodes. The tool takes into account factors such as age, sex, body mass index, pregnancy history, and family history of stones.
Researchers uncover evidence of early hominin presence in northern Africa, with chipped stones and cut bones dating back nearly 2 million years. The discovery, made at Ain Boucherit site in Algeria, suggests a rapid dispersal of stone tools out of East Africa.
Researchers have dated Acheulean presence in Arabian Peninsula to less than 190,000 years ago, revealing early humans occupied site until arrival of Homo sapiens. The site, Saffaqah, features youngest Acheulean tools yet found in southwest Asia.
Experts analyzed stone tools from the Klipdrift Shelter and Diepkloof Rock Shelter, finding similarities between them. The findings suggest a networked interaction between distant communities during the Middle Stone Age.
African lake sedimentary cores revealed a continuous record of climate change extending back one million years, linking aridification to technological and evolutionary changes in early humans. The research suggests that climate variability drove human migration and the development of new tools, providing a selective pressure for survival.
Researchers found evidence of a variable but progressively drying climate coincides with a major shift in stone-tool-making abilities and the appearance of modern Homo sapiens. A continuous environmental context was provided for the diverse archeological evidence recovered from nearby localities in the rift valley basins of southern Ke...
The study found that a majority of ancient Maya chert stone tools showed wear patterns consistent with fish preparation, indicating preserved fish was an important component of their trade economy. The researchers estimated that each salt kitchen could provide dietary salt for up to 3,444 people per day if used for fish preservation.
The ancient Maya produced salt in large quantities, salting fish and meat to meet dietary needs, and traded it as a commodity. This discovery substantiates the model of regional production and distribution of salt for the Classic Maya.
A study by the University of Kent demonstrates that ancient humans were able to produce advanced stone tools, such as spear points, only after evolving stronger grips. The research uses sensors attached to skilled flint knappers' hands to identify platform preparation behaviors, which required forceful precision grips.
Recent study analyzes chemical makeup of tools used to create giant statues, suggesting a sophisticated society where people shared information and collaborated. The results contradict the popular narrative that Easter Island's inhabitants ran out of resources and warred themselves into extinction.
The research found that Homo erectus used 'least-effort strategies' for tool making and resource collection. This lack of innovation led to the species' demise, as they failed to adapt to a changing climate and technological advancements.
Researchers measured manual pressures during stone tool behaviors to understand the impact on human hand anatomy. The study found that accessing bone marrow required the greatest pressure, suggesting it may have played a key role in the evolution of human dexterity.
Researchers have found a new type of projectile point technology in North America, dating back at least 16,000 years. This discovery suggests that humans occupied the Americas prior to the Clovis culture, which is currently considered one of the oldest Paleo-Indian cultures.
Researchers analyzed ancient tools found with a 5,300-year-old frozen mummy to understand the Copper Age mountain people's way of life. The study revealed that the tools were made from chert collected from distant outcrops, indicating long-distance cultural contacts.
A 2.5 metre-deep excavation at Eastland Port uncovered moa bones and stone tools made of obsidian and chert, dating back to the early 1300s.
A tool developed by University of Birmingham researchers identified a critical vulnerability in 400 security-critical apps, including those from major banks like HSBC and NatWest. The 'Man in the Middle Attack' flaw could allow attackers to decrypt and modify network traffic, compromising user credentials.
A team led by Purdue University anthropology professor Erik Otárola-Castillo used 3D imaging, shape analysis, and Bayesian statistics to accurately measure animal bone cut marks with an 88 percent success rate. This technique improves upon existing archaeological methods, enabling a more accurate understanding of human evolution.
A team of researchers, led by Luke Premo, question the widely accepted timeline of human cultural transmission, suggesting that it may be much more recent. They propose that the Oldowan tool, believed to be one of the first stone tools made by humans, could have been learned through innate skill rather than cultural transmission.
A vast ancient trading network operating in Vietnam from 4,500 to 3,000 years ago has been uncovered by archaeologists. The network included specialist tool-makers and technological knowledge, with items manufactured and circulated over hundreds of kilometres.