Archaeology team makes world-first tool discovery

Science Daily ^ | 8/8/2016 | A. Nowell

[JimSEA]

How smart were human-like species of the Stone Age? New research published in the Journal of Archaeological Science by a team led by paleoanthropologist April Nowell of the University of Victoria reveals surprisingly sophisticated adaptations by early humans living 250,000 years ago in a former oasis near Azraq, Jordan.

The research team from UVic and partner universities in the US and Jordan has found the oldest evidence of protein residue -- the residual remains of butchered animals including horse, rhinoceros, wild cattle and duck -- on stone tools. The discovery draws startling conclusions about how these early humans subsisted in a very demanding habitat, thousands of years before Homo sapiens first evolved in Africa.

The team excavated 10,000 stone tools over three years from what is now a desert in the northwest of Jordan, but was once a wetland that became increasingly arid habitat 250,000 years ago. The team closely examined 7,000 of these tools, including scrapers, flakes, projectile points and hand axes (commonly known as the "Swiss army knife" of the Paleolithic period), with 44 subsequently selected as candidates for testing. Of this sample, 17 tools tested positive for protein residue, i.e. blood and other animal products.

[CopperTop]

"..As a species conquers nature, natural selection by intelligence diminishes leading eventually to the ultimate idiot.."

When I first glanced at your post, I thought the pic above it went with it as an example. Hehehe. d;^)

[BroJoeK]

“Bring back Sunken Civ!”

Hear, hear!

[To Hell With Poverty]

He was kind of semi-banned evidently. Don’t have any idea why or what he could have done to deserve it, but it ticked him off enough to leave. Hope he comes back.

[ConservativeMind]

Thank you for responding. That is far better news than his passing would have been. SunkenCiv, we want you back! Please “Serenity Now!” a few times and realize others have had that ban, too. Like me. A couple of times. 😳

[zeestephen]

That's a tragic loss.

I learned more science and engineering from Sunken Civ’s posts than I did in college.

I actually can't recall that he ever posted on political issues.

Maybe he made an incendiary Comment at some point?

[TXnMA]

"Bring back Sunken Civ!"

~~~~

I just posted this over at TBR -- in hopes someone there knows what's up with Sunken Civ:

Sunken Civ -- a long-time FReeper (Since Jan 3, 2004) with welcome non-political interests and ping lists (GGG -- archaeology and ancient history) and (APOD -- astronomy) appears to have vanished from TOS. His last post was on July 11. His account is still "live" at TOS -- but, I had hopes that he might show up here.

A number of his FRiends and followers over at TOS are concerned about Sunken Civ...

Does anyone here know if Sunken Civ is OK -- or what has happened to him?

FWIW, I did note that Sunken Civ's FRprofile seemed to be a list of quotations showing JimRob's progression from Cruz to Trump supporter -- to his current "GTHO" attitude that has caused many to depart.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether he approves or not, I'm lifting prayers from the Texas Piney Woods for Sunken Civ...

[TXnMA]

"Can YOU do any of these things?"

Yep.

FWIW, that is a very simple tool -- made with mankind's first sophisticated toolmaking process:

It is a "prismatic blade" -- detached from a "core" with a single blow (on the left end).

The sophistication comes in preparing the core with a flat "striking platform" and then striking near the edge of the platform at just the right angle, in line with a ridge down the side of the core, (remaining as the "backbone" down the center of this piece) to detach the blade.

Achieving the "pointy" outline involves a little simple "crunching" around the edge -- with the same hammerstone (aka "hard hammer") used to knock the blade from the core.

There is no clear evidence of the use of a "soft (antler) hammer" for thinning, or of "pressure flaking" with an antler tip.

~~~~~~~~~

There is, however, an arcuate "notch" that might have been used as a "spokeshave" for shaping wooden projectile shafts...

As SouthParkRepublican said, "Like an ancient Leatherman. Pretty awesome."

All in all, a nice example of mankind's early progress in "lithic technology"...

[TXnMA]

OP courtesy ping to #27... And, thanks for posting this!

[JimSEA]

In comparison with many of his peers, the maker of this cutting tool was a craftsman and the extra trouble he must have gone to for likely aesthetic reasons. It hints at a mind and communication processes beyond what many had given these people at that time.

Your discussion on tool making is interesting.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Yes, I did hear it had something to do with being unable to edit his own about page. I love Civ, but I mean c’mon, it’s JimRob’s house. Don’t wipe your dirty boots on the couch cusions!

Hope he gets over it, he’s really an FR treasure.

[TXnMA]

Thanks! My interests in archaeology are diverse. As a Texas State Archeological (offcial Texian spelling) Steward, my specialization in prehistoric archeology is lithic tool fabrication technology and replication. For that, I use primitive tools: hammerstones ("hard hammers"), antler "billets" ("soft hammers") and antler tine pressure flakers and punches.

OTOH, my specialization in historic archeology is in "Rut Nutting" (the detection and mapping of pioneer and prehistoric trails, traces, roads, abandoned railbeds, etc. For that, my primary tools are "OHI" (OverHead Imagery -- including Google Earth) and "LiDAR" -- for which I write my own "Matrix Convolution spatial filters"...

At least, it keeps this 78+-orbit mind busy when it's too hot to go outside and survey or dig... '-)

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 08/08/2016. Thanks JimSEA. I found it with an FR search engine "archaeology" title. I think there are a few more in there.

Thanks all who made such kind remarks a few years back, when this topic went up! Also, I think JimSEA is no longer active on FR?

Here are the other GGG topics introduced since the previous Digest ping:

• Ancient Art Found in Basque Country Changes Understanding of Prehistoric Society
• Egypt shock: Dead Sea Scroll scan suggests Noah's Ark 'was Great Pyramid of Giza'
• Experts amazed after 'incredibly rare' Roman artifact found in Lincolnshire field
• George Washington and the First Mass Military Inoculation
• Graveface Museum is home to one of the world's greatest collections of weirdo relics and macabre artifacts
• Human remains at ancient Pictish cemetery on Orkney exposed by storms
• Impact of the Black Death on Society and Culture
• Most Credible Bigfoot Witnesses and Some of the Best Evidence to Date
• Mysterious 25,000 Year Old Building Made of 60 Mammoth's Bones
• Mysterious Drake's Island Off Devon to Get First Visitors in 30 Years
• Secret Door in Great Sphinx leading to the Hall of Records (Cover up!) [2019]
• Trnava archaeologists made a 6,000-year-old discovery [Slovakia]
• Underwater study reveals possible quay at Bru na Boinne
• Was there music during the Indus Valley Civilisation?
• What factors point to the Turin Shroud being a fake?

[outofsalt]

I may have been guilty of rut nutting in my misspent youth.

[Redcitizen]

Thanks for the interesting reading. Keeps me occupied while I’m waiting for my truck to be repaired.

[TXnMA]

The image link in #1is no longer viable. This may be the current URL for the same artifact:

https://www.sciencealert.com/images/articles/processed/stones-1_1024.jpg

The "red bracket" indicates the edge area where food residue was recovered.

TXnMA
  

[trisham]

Agreed.

[Grampa Dave]

He is still posting his great links and comical insight:

http://freerepublic.com/tag/by:sunkenciv/index?brevity=full;tab=comments

[TXnMA]

"I may have been guilty of rut nutting in my misspent youth."

~~~~~~~~~~~

My youth was misspent in artifact collecting -- which, as a responsible archæologist, I no longer do. (Of course, having developed the ability to re-create lithic artifacts as well as the vast majority of Native americans could make them -- also helped me to wean myself from the "collecting urge"...)

However, now that the loss of fine hand-eye coordination has diminished my knapping skill, I find that "rut nutting" (the discovery and mapping of early roads, trails & traces) can still be enjoyed -- even from the comfort of my recliner! Of course, once I spot (on OHI) where one of the old pathways is crossed by a modern road, it's still a thrill to drive to those coordinates to "ground-truth" it and exclaim, "Yep, there it is!"... '-)

TXnMA
  

[bitt]

p

[The Westerner]

Thanks. Always interesting.