Why Did Prehistoric People Reuse Ancient Tools?

Stone tools found in prehistoric habitats that shed light on the dark ancient times of humanity seem to have two life cycles: They are first processed and used, and then without being reused first they are cast aside. A new study puts forward an interesting hypothesis as to what might be the reason for this.

Scientific Reports According to the research published in the scientific journal named recyclable used in some way, they help remind places, events and people, represent a connection with past and previous generations. “memory objects” is functioning. While this is an interesting claim, the research provides a lot of evidence to support this hypothesis.

Tools may have sentimental value

Analyzing the chemical coating that precipitated over 49 flint tools from a sediment layer estimated to be around 500,000 years old, excavated from the famous Revadim site in the south of Israel’s Coastal Plain, archaeologists have identified these objects. two different lifetimes they found out.

After the microscopic analysis, it was understood that the two active edges, one old and one new, were used for the second time. effortless work It turned out to be for. As a result, researchers have found that prehistoric humans why He began to question whether he might have reintroduced tools made, used, and then discarded by his predecessors.

In an era and region where solid quality pebbles were easy to find, the reason was clearly a shortage of raw materials. not Archaeologist Bar Efrati of Tel Aviv University in Israel said: “The motivation was also purely functional, because recycled tools were neither unusual in form nor uniquely suitable for any particular use.” expresses as.

Moreover, it seems that when these tools were started to be used for the second time, not many changes were made on them, and the changes made were quite significant. minimal was caught. The fact that the impact marks from their first use have been preserved to a large extent helps to preserve the appearance of these tools. that it is important was showing.

Based on these clues, the researchers found that the tools were for the people of that time. an emotional value that you carry; with the memories and past that people evoke these instruments because of their private connections He began to think that he might have collected it.

Human ancestral tools were a reminder of the past

On this subject, archaeologist Ran Barkai from Tel Aviv University, “Imagine a prehistoric man walking through the landscape 500,000 years ago when an ancient stone tool catches your eye” says and “The vehicle means something to him – it carries the memory of his ancestors or evokes a connection to a particular place.” uses expressions. Accordingly, researchers believe that prehistoric people who found the tool inherited from their ancestors may have taken the tool home, rather than changing the general shape of the tool. honor of the first person to create the toola suggests that he may have just changed one edge and used it that way.

Of course, these tools are more than creating new tools from scratch. less effort It is possible that it has been reused because it requires; but besides the 49 reused objects analyzed heremany newly created tools was the main thing that made the researchers doubt. In addition, renovating an old vehicle was not so easy than creating a new one from scratch.

In other words, primitive humans who lived about 500,000 years ago, in terms of the way they collect memories It wasn’t that different from us. Functional memories that work are also things that happened in the past It was also a reminder.

On this subject, Barkai “In a modern analogy, prehistoric man might be likened to a young farmer who still plows his fields with his great-grandfather’s rusty old tractor, changing parts occasionally, but keeping the good old machine intact, for his family’s bond with the land symbolizes” uses expressions.