Earlier Use Of Stone Tool Kits To Butcher Animals
Recent findings by archeologist suggest that hominids used stone tool kits to butcher animals much earlier in our evolution than once thought.
Interpreting The Findings
These findings have shifted the view that the use of stone tools to butcher animals arose once human’s had adapted to the savanna environment. Furthermore, the archaeological artifacts that were discovered help interpret these findings.
Stone Tools
The stone tools that have been discovered consist of:
- Hand Ax– which had a flat surface and a point or edge which was used to do things like butcher animals
- Scrapers– which had a pointed edge and were primarily used to sharpen other tools
- Hammerstones– which had a sharp edge and were used like a hammer, and more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the recent findings suggest that hominids used stone tool kits to butcher animals much earlier in our evolution than once thought, and this shifts the current view of how early the use of stone tools began. The stone tools that have been uncovered from archaeological sites provide important evidence to help to interpret these findings.
The recent discovery of stone tool mark evidence was made in Krosis, a fossil-rich cave site in the northern coast of Israel, where ancient hominids were thought to have used stone tools to butcher animals much earlier than previously thought.
The discovery made by archaeologists from the University of Haifa includes an accumulation of animal bones dating from the lower Pleistocene, 1.95 million years ago, which shows cut marks and percussion marks that indicate the use of stone tools. Previously, it was thought that stone tools were used to butcher meat and process and eat animals approximately 1.8 million years ago.
The cave site produced fossil evidence of animals such as hippos and fallow deer, among othesr, which suggests that hominids were hunting during this time. Archaeologists also found cut marks on bones that suggest skinning and cutting of the animal’s flesh. These marks showed that hominids were butchering animals much earlier than previously thought.
The find at Krosis sheds new light on the ancient hominid’s tool making and eating behaviours. The earliest known stone tool kits can be traced back to 2.6 million years ago with the emergence of the Homo species. This indicates that hominids were using more sophisticated tools for more complex activities such as hunting and butchering animals, by at least 1.95 million years ago.
The archaeologists believe that the use of stone tools by these hominid populations allowed them to utilize a wide range of animal proteins which helped to facilitate their successful adaptation to ancient environments. This evidence from the Krosis cave site reveals that the capabilities of early hominids was more sophisticated and complex than was previously thought.
This exciting new discovery contributes to our understanding of the development of hominid populations, throwing light on the importance of stone tools to our ancestors and providing evidence of their relatively advanced capabilities.