The massive discovery of 400,000-year-old bone tools challenges our understanding of early humans

As long as Lower Paleolithic This is exactly what archeology says: Experts discovered 98 ivory tools 400 years ago. This discovery could change the way we think about how some early humans liked it Neanderthals Like styling tools.

The bones were collected from a place called Castell de Guido near present-day Rome. In the dark and distant times, it was now a famous watering place for the missing Straight toothed elephant (Paleoloxodone), And a large number of animals there also seem to have died.

This newly discovered tool set shows that the ancient humans of Castell de Guido did not scatter the remaining bones, but instead created a primitive production chain with methods we had never seen before in a distant time, at least not to that extent.

“We are currently looking at other sites with bone tools”, Archaeologist Paula Villa says:, University of Colorado Boulder. “But there is no such difference in well-defined forms.”

“In Castell de Guido, humans usually break the elephant’s long bones and produce standard spaces for the manufacture of bone tools. This kind of ability became popular not long after.”

Castell de Guido Internet site. (Villa et al., Plus One, 2021)

Based on evidence gathered from other sites, early humans used all the bone fragments that were generally available, without purifying or receiving them – but in Castell de Guido it was different.

The technique they used is called Falling pumpkin, Or cut bone fragments using a special tool to make specific tools. Stone tools were of a similar shape and were more common at this time, the invention of the 98 bone tools was surprising.

Researchers note that this does not mean that the ancient humans who lived here were particularly “intelligent”. The explanation may be that they have more ivory to work with than other groups and have less access to large parts of natural flint to make stone tools instead.

The tools they made included forks used to cut meat, as well as wedges used to create power to break large bones, such as elephant bones.

“You start by creating a groove where you can insert those huge bits with a sharp edge”, This is the villa. “And then you hit it and it breaks the bone one at a time.”

One of the most interesting tools found on the site More smoothOne end is used to treat long, soft bone skin. These types of tools were not popular until 300,000 years ago.

Leshwar was found on the site. (Villa et al., 2021, PLOS ONE)

Due to the wide variety of tools and techniques used to create them, archaeologists may need to recalibrate the time frames in which these tools were actually developed and their production methods.

At present, it appears to be an isolated breakthrough in bone production technology. Based on the available evidence, researchers believe that Neanderthals occupied this space and produced the evidence now listed.

“About 400,000 years ago, I started using fire in general, beginning with the Neanderthal dynasty”, This is the villa. “This is a very important time for Castell de Guido.”

The research was published in Once again.