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Elephant bones for the Middle Pleistocene toolmaker.
Paola Villa1,2, Giovanni Boschian3, Luca Pollarolo4,5
1University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America.
Plos One
|August 26, 2021
Summary
Middle Pleistocene hominids created complex bone tools, challenging previous ideas of early bone technology. This discovery reveals systematic production and diverse tool types, pushing back the origins of advanced bone tool manufacture.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Archaeology
- Prehistoric Technology
Background:
- Bone has been used for tools since the Early Pleistocene, primarily shaped by percussion flaking.
- Previous research suggested early bone technology was simple, immediate, and expedient, with complex multi-stage manufacturing only appearing in the Upper Paleolithic.
Observation:
- Technological and taphonomic analysis of the Castel di Guido bone assemblage (Middle Pleistocene, ~400 ka) revealed 98 verified human-made bone tools.
- This assemblage shows systematic production of standardized blanks (elephant diaphysis fragments) and a diversity of tool types, including smoothers and intermediate pieces.
Findings:
- The Castel di Guido findings demonstrate that complex bone tool technology, including multi-stage shaping and standardized blanks, existed in the Middle Pleistocene.
- This challenges the long-held view that sophisticated bone tool manufacture was exclusive to the Upper Paleolithic.
Implications:
- The Castel di Guido hominids took a significant step towards increasing complexity in bone technology, predating established timelines.
- This research suggests that certain technological advancements, previously attributed to the Aurignacian and later periods, have deeper roots in the Middle Pleistocene.
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