According to Prof. Ran Barkai from Tel Aviv University, who headed the research, the discovery presents for the first time direct and unequivocal evidence regarding the use of flint tools for cutting meat that are at least half a million years old. "From a research point of view, this is the closing of a circle: the connection between the bones and the tools has finally been proven" * The discovery was published this week in the journal PLoS One
Researchers from Tel Aviv University found remains of animal fat on flint tools that are about half a million years old - the earliest direct evidence in the world of the use of ancient flint tools for butchering animals. The remains of fat were found on two tools at the Ravadid quarry site, and are the first unequivocal evidence that the main function of these flint tools was to cut meat.
Responsible for the discovery are Natasha Solodenko, PhD student in the Department of Archeology at Tel Aviv University, and Prof. Ran Barkai, head of the Department of Archeology at Tel Aviv University. The Israeli researchers collaborated with researchers from the University of Rome in Italy: Prof. Cristina Lamorini, Prof. Stella Cesaro and PhD student Andrea Zufenzitz.
The Ravadid Quarry site is east of the Ram Junction. The site was discovered in 1996, during the expansion of the Ravadid quarry. Since then, excavations have been conducted at the site by the Antiquities Authority, during which a large and rich site was discovered with flint tools and animal bones from the Lower Paleolithic period - that is, about half a million years ago. The site was most likely inhabited by Homo erectus, an ancient species of African man, who also lived in our area. Homo erectus is the ancestor of modern humans and Neanderthal humans.
"This site represents a very significant phase in the history of the human race - the illusory culture," explains Prof. Barkai. "This is an archaeological culture that existed for about two million years, on all the continents of the ancient world, and passed away from the world a total of about two hundred thousand years ago. These are our direct ancestors, modern humans. During this period, quite a few of our behaviors and characteristics took shape, such as the increase in brain volume, the use of tools and the eating of meat."
The Illusory culture produced unique flint tools known as hand stones, which were produced over and over again, for about two million years, all over the world. Regarding the use of these tools there is an ongoing debate, as these are impressive, symmetrical and very aesthetic tools relative to work tools. Most of them are even created according to the "golden ratio" proportions.
Tools used for cutting meat
"These are very enigmatic tools," says Prof. Barkai. "Obviously they put extra effort into them, now the question is why. Opinions about the use of these tools are surprisingly divided. Some researchers, for example, believe that the tools were used as an indication of mate selection, as part of the principle of respect in evolution: Homo erectus invested his energy in making the tools to prove to the females that he had good genes. We do not rule out such and such suggestions, but now we have unequivocal proof that the tools were used, first and foremost, for cutting and butchering animals."
In the Ishli sites, archaeologists usually find flint tools next to dismembered and shattered animal bones - therefore it seems that the main culprit is the flint tools, but until now there has been no direct evidence of the use of flint tools for cutting animals. The findings of Prof. Barkai and his team from the Rabadi site are the first direct evidence in the world of how these flint tools were used in animal butchering.
"Rabadi is a large site in an exceptional state of preservation," says Prof. Barkai. "We estimate that parts of the site were covered with earth shortly after the ancient humans left the place. So, for example, we found a rib of an elephant on the site, with cutting marks of a flint tool on it, which is a rather rare find - to find a cut that was made half a million years ago, especially on the bones of elephants. But the really great discovery was two tools we found near the dismembered rib of the elephant, two typical tools out of a lot of tools at this site and at illusory sites in general - a two-sided hand stone and a scrubber."
Prof. Barkai and his team found signs of use on the two flint tools - a rare thing on tools that are half a million years old. A series of microscopic tests confirmed that the active edge of the tools was scratched as a result of the work, while a "Fourier" spectroscopy (FTIR) device found real organic remains on the tools.
"In the past, organic remains were found, but not fat remains. This is the oldest fat in the world," says Prof. Barkai, "and it is clear evidence that these tools were first of all used to exploit animals - which strengthens our claim that they were central tools in the life of Homo erectus, and weakens the counter claim that this is a culture that froze in its tracks and the continuation of automatic production of tools. Homo erectus made these tools for so long simply because they were useful to them - and here we show why.
This is a groundbreaking discovery, presenting for the first time in the history of research direct and unequivocal evidence regarding the use of flint tools that are at least half a million years old. From a research point of view, this is the closing of a circle: the connection between the bones and the vessels has finally been proven. The Ashlims, by the way, also made replicas of their flint tools from elephant bones. And here, also on the Barbadi site there is a replica of a flint tool made from the bone of an elephant - and we can only assume that it is the same elephant and the same bone that was dismembered with a stone hand stone."
