“”Early humans made stone tools out of whichever rocks happened to be lying nearby, ignoring quality in favor of convenience””
That seems to be a rather broad assumption. We have several large camps on the ranch and many smaller satellite camps and you see tools made from a variety of stone. Some of the best chert in the Permian Basin can be found here and in large quantities. As a flint knapper of over 40 years I certainly wouldn’t want to use my best collected material to make tools needed for hard work that will see allot of abuse. The larger worked pieces that to my eye looked like they were made for breaking bone are always of a lower quality material. It’s far more durable than the material used for finer points and blades. We have several outcroppings of a course grade Sugar Quartz, worthless for making points or blades but excels for making tools which see allot of abuse.
That makes more sense
than the Educated Idiots.
I wholehearted agree.