Stone Tools and Stone Tools Technologies

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Anthropology

Document 1

One of such factors included that emergence of grass in the tropic which was the homes of the primates which would later develop into human beings. Grass forced them to stand up as they shifted from one tree to another in search of food. Standing up ensured that they were able to see predators coming from far. Another event that was crucial in the evolution of man was the invention and advancement of the tools technology. With tools, the food menu was made unlimited. The earliest stone tools were made by the Homohabilis or the Toolmaker and were usually made by knocking smaller stones into bigger stones to and is so doing create some sharp edges on them (“Archaeologists find earliest evidence of stone tool making”).

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An early man would take a stone showing lines of weaknesses and skillfully hit is with another to break them along the lines of flaws and in so doing create some sharper-edges on them. More so, doing this made it easy to use them in doing various activities. This way, the Homo erectus was able to make tools such as the sharp stone cores, clippers, sharpened stone flakes were all made. It is important to note that at this point, weapons were not attached to any handles (“Archaeologists find earliest evidence of stone tool making”). Later, many other discoveries all over the world would prove that indeed the Homohabilis were the earliest of any species ever to conceptualize the idea of making tools.

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The evidence provided is very compelling in that this species was indeed the first to make and use tools. No other species before them had shown any knowledge of tools as most of them were living a primitive life mostly in trees feeding on fruits, eggs, insects and other items. These early stone tools made by the Homohabilis were used in doing various activities which all revolved around food (“The Origins of Stone Tool Technology in Africa: a Historical Perspective”). The hammer stone, for instance, was used for hunting and killing small animals such as rabbits and birds that the early at this stage had identified as a source of food. He became more aware of the improvements he could make on the tools to make the more efficient and effective in their uses.

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For example, fitting the hand axe with a handle made it easy for him to use it more effectively without hurting his hands (Stout 1050). More so, the higher brain growth allowed the early man to explore other sources of tools where he started using things like bones to make even lighter and more efficient weapons. Later this knowledge would lead to the use of metals in making various tools. The development of stone tools represented a stage in human life where a platform was laid allowing for more progress in human life to arise. More so, when food in the African Savannas became scarce, the early man opted to move out in search of greener pastures where they could get more game, and edible plants (Stout 1050).

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All these evolutionary developments were possible only due to the invention and advancement of tools use. Today, primates such as chimpanzees have been observed to use various tools in the wild. However, this cannot be considered as proof of them turning into humans due to the simple fact that hominies displayed more human-like traits like the selection of the materials they choose tools. They selected hard materials like stones and even shaped them to make the tools sharper, lighter and more usable (Stout 1050: Wayman). Early Hominin Tools: who made them and how were they made?Accessed Dec 9 2018 on:<http://factsanddetails. com/world/cat56/sub360/item1484. html>. Stout, Dietrich. "Stone Toolmaking and the Evolution of Human Culture and Cognition. Accessed Dec 9 2018 on: <https://royalsocietypublishing.

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