[SunkenCiv]

A typical Oldowan simple stone chopper tool. Wikimedia Commons

[Fungi]

There are those dates again, how were they determined? Do the math on all the human bodies, all those animal skeletons. Where are they? Nonsense.

[piasa]

Since animals use language of some form or another depending on species.... from the flashing and color shifting of cuttlefish to the alarm calls of birds or the rumblings and yowls of cats, I don’t see the point in comparing language use vs non use of language here, as if there was ever a time when any primate could not make squeals and grunts meaningful to them.

[moovova]

“Oldowan stone-knapping dates back to the Lower Paleolithic period in eastern Africa, and remained largely unchanged for 700,000 years...”

Imagine something, anything, nowadays going unchanged for 700,000 years.

[minnesota_bound]

#1 That is a Binford tool. Here is how you pronounce it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnsiZOJjfUg

[faithhopecharity]

Spoken language works better with most modern college students because they can’t read. ( note recent posted news article that average college undergraduate reads only at grade level 7)

[Jandy on Genesis]

Literally thousands of stone tools and implements have been found Kathu, South Africa. Here is a description of the tool making site: http://thenaturalhistorian.com/2014/12/18/how-rare-are-stone-age-artifacts-a-visit-to-a-stone-tool-making-center-at-kathu-south-africa/

[bunkerhill7]

Nope incorrect theory of politeness-

Earliest Known Stone Weapons Planted the Seeds of Communication and Language,

viz First words uttered were “Watch it, Buster!

Keep your filthy hands offa my woman, or I`ll crack your stupid head wide open with this here stone axe I don just made it!!”

[who_would_fardels_bear]

It would also have been quicker if they used printed manuals to explain the process.

By the same logic used in the article, it is obvious that they had printed manuals and that the only reason we don't see any printed manuals today is that they were made of flimsy materials that dissipated with time.

[TigersEye]

Without language, one can assume that a hominin version of, say, Steve Jobs would have been hard-pressed to pass on visionary ideas.

It does help if you can say "Yer not doin' it right!"

[Unam Sanctam]

The experiment didn’t say that the technology couldn’t be passed on without language, just that language was more efficient. I would think that was an obvious conclusion, but it doesn’t tell us what really happened during the 700,000 years the technology was used, i.e., whether language was used or not.