[SunkenCiv]

Elephant bone tool

NHM Photo Unit

[ek_hornbeck]

The age of the hammer suggests that it was made and used by either Neanderthals or members of Homo heidelbergensis.

It would be interesting if it were heidelbergensis, which was more closely related to us (perhaps ancestral) than to Neanderthals.

The consensus seems to be that Neanderthals used the same rather crude stone and bone tools for most of their 500 thousand year history (except for what they cribbed from true humans during their last few thousand years in Europe), while proto-human and human tools became more and more advanced over time. Our ancestors were more innovative thinkers.

[poinq]

Nope I am guessing they got this one wrong. Either it was no tool. Or the date is wrong. They need to have a lot more evidence that collaborates tool making in England 500,000 years ago. Homo Sapiens did not make it there. We need to find a few more in another place within Europe before I am believing it.

[fidelis]

Among the artifacts, the scientists identified a 500,000-year-old tool made of elephant or mammoth bone

Looks in pretty bad shape. If it's a Craftsman, they can get it replaced at no cost.

[GingisK]

Easy to identity! Its a plow plane.

[deweyfrank]

Not understanding how, if it is softer than stone, how it was used to sharpen stone.

[aces]

I wondered where that went...hehe

https://youtu.be/oZcfkozIPDI?si=F-bReozRS6STZV-W