Europe’s Oldest Elephant Bone Tool: 480,000‑Year‑Old Ax Sharpener
Hear’s a breakdown of the key details from the provided text:
* Discovery: A 800,000-year-old tool made from elephant bone was found at Boxgrove, England.
* Purpose: The tool was used to shape and re-sharpen stone tools (specifically, hand axes). This process is called “knapping.”
* Significance: This is the first documented case of elephant bone being used to create a “retoucher” (a tool used for knapping).
* Rarity: Tools made from organic materials like bone, antler, and wood are rarely found in archaeological records as they don’t preserve well.
* Insight into Early Humans: The find suggests that early humans at Boxgrove understood the value of elephant bone as a material for toolmaking and were skilled in utilizing available resources.
* Context: The site is known for its hand axes, which were previously thoght to be primarily cutting tools.