Oldowan ToolsThe first type of early stone tools was thought to be made by early hominids, such as Homo Habilis, around 2.4 million years ago. The tools were called Oldowan tools, named after the Oldovai region in Kenya where they were discovered. The tools were manufactured by swinging a hammer stone onto the edge of a core rock, to create a sharp edge. Traditionally quartz, quartzite, or basalt pebbles were used to make these tools.These sharp edged scrapers would be used to remove meat from the carcasses of animals, providing a new source of nutrition to early hominids.
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(Top) Image courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldowan
(Bottom) Image courtesy of http://www.anthrotools.org/tools/tooldisplay.php |