trends In tools

oldowan tools (austraphalicines)

• Evidence that they used tools but no evidence they altered them

• Used items in the environment- sticks, rocks for the purpose of scraping, chiselling/ chopping and flaking

  

Other cultural evolution:
- no use of fire

-no evidence of belief in the supernatural

-no evidence of art

• Some organisation between members of group to suit hunterer, gatherer lifestyle

  

homo habilis

• Multi use tools- tools weren't highly specialised

• Some tools were sharpened by striking with another stone (halfting)

• The flakes were likely used as a tool

• Uses: crushing plants, digging up edible tools, chopping meat and bone (choppers) and

Skinning animals (scrapers)

 

Other cultural evolution:

"home- bases"

Hunterers and gathers went out for food and returned- social organisation, communication required (evidence in area of brain for speech, started to bulge)

Diet: mostly plant, some meat

No Use of fire

No belief in the supernatural

homo erectus

3.Acheulean:

Homo erectus

• Typically 'tear drop' shape and symmetrical

• Tools flaked along edges in one direction and then in other direction

• "bi- facial" flaking

• Quite large and robust, still quite multi- use

Other cultural evolution:

Use of fire- cooking, ward of predators, light the space, warmth, herd prey towards them

Use of shelter- became more independent of environment

High level of social organisation- well organisised hunters, roles within group

Increased capability to communicate- language

Diet: plant, meat and fish

No evidence of supernatural belief

homo Neanderthals

Tools were made using the levallious technique-

• A stone is trimmed/ shaped a particualr way to form a 'core'

• The core is then struck in a precise spot to detatch a flake this flake forms a tool

• Will be flat on one side with sharp edges

  

homo neanderthalas tool

Other cultural evolution- increased cognition (as evident through implementing Levallois technique and hafting)

Plan and Forsee outcomes

Increased communication-

Well developed social organisation- sharing tools and resources

Evidence of making clothes

Supernatural belief- ceremonial burial

Cared for members

Used fire

 

Other cultural evolution:

Clothing had been sewn better

Shelter- allowed for better survival in cold environment of Europe

Mastered hunting of herd animals

Began creating artwork

Homo sapiens tools (A)

Aurignacian:

Blades were flakes of stone with roughly parallel sides

Made by removing long flat rectangles from core stones

Easy to handle- effective for cutting

Homo sapiens tools (S)

Soultrean:

Leaf shaped

Made by retouching or 'pressure flaking' recore stone

Applying pressure and using stone/ bone to detach small flakes

Little practial use- likely used to make other tool

homo sapien tool (M)

 

 

Magdalenian:

Bone and antler tools made using a burin- chisel like cutter tool which is used to make other tools

Range of tools- fire needles, barbed spears and spear throwers.

overall trends in tool culture

 

Overall trends in tool culture

• Increased manipulation of materials

• Increased complexity of tools

• Greater variety of materials to make tools

• Improved worksmanship and dev

• elopment of equiptment to make tools

• Increased specialisation of tools

  

trends in tool culture

increased workmanship

increased specialisation of tools

increased equipment to make tools

increased materials to make tools

increased manipulation of materials