Archaeologists in Ethiopia have discovered a 1.4-million-year-old bone hand ax likely made by the ancient human ancestor Homo erectus, reports Bruce Bower for Science News.

The five-inch-long tool—unearthed at the Konso archaeological site in southern Ethiopia—is one of two known bone axes crafted more than one million years ago. Prehistoric implements made out of bone are exceptionally rare.

The findings, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, note that the tool’s maker created the ax’s honed edge by carefully flaking off chunks of bone. Tools previously uncovered at the Konso site provide evidence that Homo erectus was skilled at sculpting instruments out of rock; the new discovery indicates that the ancient hominin’s skillset might have applied to bone, too.

Fashioned from a hippopotamus’ thigh bone, the ax suggests “Homo erectus technology was more sophisticated and versatile than we had thought,” co-lead author Gen Suwa, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Tokyo, tells Science News.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/14-million-year-old-hippo-bone-hand-axe-found-ethiopia-180975314/

PermeateFree said:

Archaeologists in Ethiopia have discovered a 1.4-million-year-old bone hand ax likely made by the ancient human ancestor Homo erectus, reports Bruce Bower for Science News.

The five-inch-long tool—unearthed at the Konso archaeological site in southern Ethiopia—is one of two known bone axes crafted more than one million years ago. Prehistoric implements made out of bone are exceptionally rare.

The findings, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, note that the tool’s maker created the ax’s honed edge by carefully flaking off chunks of bone. Tools previously uncovered at the Konso site provide evidence that Homo erectus was skilled at sculpting instruments out of rock; the new discovery indicates that the ancient hominin’s skillset might have applied to bone, too.

Fashioned from a hippopotamus’ thigh bone, the ax suggests “Homo erectus technology was more sophisticated and versatile than we had thought,” co-lead author Gen Suwa, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Tokyo, tells Science News.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/14-million-year-old-hippo-bone-hand-axe-found-ethiopia-180975314/

Nice. 1.4 million is pretty ancient. I’ve occasionally wondered why we find so many more stone tools than bone ones. Perhaps because it’s difficult to kill a hippo.

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

Archaeologists in Ethiopia have discovered a 1.4-million-year-old bone hand ax likely made by the ancient human ancestor Homo erectus, reports Bruce Bower for Science News.

The five-inch-long tool—unearthed at the Konso archaeological site in southern Ethiopia—is one of two known bone axes crafted more than one million years ago. Prehistoric implements made out of bone are exceptionally rare.

The findings, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, note that the tool’s maker created the ax’s honed edge by carefully flaking off chunks of bone. Tools previously uncovered at the Konso site provide evidence that Homo erectus was skilled at sculpting instruments out of rock; the new discovery indicates that the ancient hominin’s skillset might have applied to bone, too.

Fashioned from a hippopotamus’ thigh bone, the ax suggests “Homo erectus technology was more sophisticated and versatile than we had thought,” co-lead author Gen Suwa, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Tokyo, tells Science News.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/14-million-year-old-hippo-bone-hand-axe-found-ethiopia-180975314/

Nice. 1.4 million is pretty ancient. I’ve occasionally wondered why we find so many more stone tools than bone ones. Perhaps because it’s difficult to kill a hippo.

Stones are much more durable, and more suited to many tasks.

These people would probably also have used many wooden tools which are extremely unlikely to be preserved.