Similarities And Differences Between Stone Tools Industries

During the early years of the Paleo-Indian tribes, they exploited a wide variety of exotic plants and animals. Many of these animals were from the Ice Age. This research paper will discuss what kinds of tools they used for growing crops, hunting big animals like the woolly mammoth and the giant ground sloth and what they used them for besides a source of food.

Describe the major developments of early human and social evolution. Throughout, discuss tool manufacturing, language development, agriculture, social behavior, and population growth.

Oldowan technology was first discovered at the Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, site in the 1930s by Lewis and Mary Leakey. It has been dated to approximately 2.5 to 1.5 million years ago during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene (Potts 1981:153), predating any other form of currently known lithic industries. Acheulean technology is more recent, dated to between 1.7 to 1.5 million years ago using radiometric dating from volcanic ash (White 1998:15). It was named after Saint-Acheule, Somme, France, where Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes discovered the site in 1859, although John Frere has been credited to its 1797 discovery. In terms of appearance, Oldowan tools can essentially be seen as “pebbles” altered to become sharp through the procedure of “relatively simple

The Paleolithic and Neolithic periods displayed major cultural differences in religion, lifestyles, government, and technology. “Culture is the way of life of a group of people. Culture includes common practices of a society, its shared understandings, and its social organizations are always changing” (McDougal, World History: Patterns of Interaction, 2004) The Paleolithic time period was full of inventions and was a time where new technology and lifestyles were blossoming through all cultures. Tools made out of pressure flaked stone and rock were created during this period to help with everyday tasks. The Paleolithic period was also the period where the creations of fires were discovered along with religion and languages. The Neolithic age, however, was more technologically improved, than the Paleolithic age. This was the start of the agricultural revolution and the start of civilizations and societies. These two periods were ever changing.

Back in the Stone Age, the early man created tools to help them do everyday tasks they needed to survive. In document #2, figure 2 shows a variety of tools and weapons created by early man such as bows, arrows, and spear throwers and so on. The materials needed to make these include bones, antlers, and teeth because they were durable. Some types of tools that early man made was sharper blades for hunting, fishhooks for fishing, and needles for sewing. In document #5, a picture shows a group of people doing tasks to help out with the community. One woman is crafting fur/skin into clothes, another woman is taking care of a child and the men are hunting for food. Without tools, these tasks would take a longer time to accomplish and would be even harder to do. Depending on the group, the cultures could be different, which could effect on how they make a

Ceramic making is still a popular tradition today in the Americas, especially on Native Indian Reservations, like in Western, North Carolina. The use of ceramics, however, is quite different than the way it was used by the natives during the Middle Woodland Period. Today, pottery is mainly made for decoration or art purposes by modern day Americans, but according to Wallis (2011), about 3,000 years ago the use of pottery became a very common use and practiced tradition among the native people who lived during that time period. The Swift Creek culture and the Cherokee Indians had very similar methods in formulating ceramics. The archaeological findings of these artifacts states that one group had been more advanced designs on their vessels. This reason is most likely because of the materials that one group was able to access in their area that the other group did not have available. One group was also more traditional and spiritual in making their vessels, which caused them to create more complex designs and methods while designing their ceramics (Block 2005). By looking at the similarities of both groups pottery styles, archaeologists were able to determine the minor but very distinctive differences, that one group processed in their art, than the other. By comparing each group’s ceramics by looking at

These stone tool might have served as a chopper, useful in cutting wood, cracking nuts, or breaking open bones for their marrow.One advance was the development of composite tools, like the spear.To maintain a successful Hunting/Gathering economy, these early modern humans had to be mobile. That is, they had to be able to relocate often and quickly. Hunter/Gatherers could not afford to gather possessions. They had no pack animals to help them carry loads

Political, economic, and social conditions have often led to turning points that have changed the course of history for nations and people. The Paleolithic Era and Neolithic Revolution was a turning point that changed the orbit of history for mankind. In Documents 1, 2, and 4, they explain life before the Neolithic Revolution and what changed during the period and provide an analysis of results of the revolution. They introduce food supply and settlement, and civilization and trade.

The Archaic was a time of mostly small societies that engaged in intensive foraging, with the adoption of farming coming in the late Archaic. By the Middle Archaic we see more cemeteries with burials in mounds, a move towards sedentism, and groups claiming the rights to resources. During the Late Archaic there was a move towards population growth, the beginning of the Eastern Agricultural Complex, trade, pottery, storage, and sedentism. Two Archaic mound building societies were Watson Brake and Poverty Point. Watson Brake in Louisiana is one of the oldest mound sites in North America with dates of 3500 – 3000 B.C., with 11 mounds that are up to 25 feet, connected by ridges, interior ritual spaces, and was occupied year round. Poverty Point is located in northeastern Louisiana and was a pre-agricultural ceremonial center. Poverty Point covers 494 acres and took more than 1,236,007 cu ft of soil to construct (Fagan 2005: 418). Objects discovered at Poverty Point show that they took part in long distance trade and made use of a variety of exotic materials. These materials included: slate, copper, jasper, quartz, and as stated in our lecture there were materials coming from as far as 1,400 miles

[pic]we also noticed the different types of tools used to hunt from the lowest level to the most current level and retouched flakes prevailed during all periods we have determined by our excavations. This was a favorite weapon to hunt and perhaps used to hunt larger preys found in the area. The use of end scraper also prevailed for many years and it was probably used to tear up the skin to cover themselves in the cold winter time. Other tools were also found, but a significant lower number.

Chapter Nine goes into detail about the late Paleoindian Period the growth of agriculture in North and South America. Clovis points appeared all over the Americas attesting to a continent-wide networking. However, as time pasted distinctive points and tools began to pop up based on region and the needs it provided for. In fact, a common theme of this chapter was the Native Americans ability to exploit their resources and maximize their intake of food sources.

By examining Neanderthal tools and utensils one can gain an understanding of the complexity of

Oldowan tools are a very rudimentary form of a stone tool in which it is formed simply by smashing two rocks together until the rock splinters. If the splinter becomes sharp, it can be used as a tool for cutting. These tools were likely used for scavenging and cutting meat from animals that were previously killed by another predator. An individual would either use the oldowan tool to scrape and cut meat from a bone, or smash the cranial and long bones to obtain brain matter or bone marrow. The bones of local fauna show a parallel scrape marks that indicate tool use. Under a microscope, one can see the patterns created by these tools. If the marks were in a “V” shape, it would indicate a scrape pattern consistent with the bite of a carnivore. Because of the parallel scrape marks; we can deduce that tools made the

Common portrayals of Neanderthals to the public often include images that depict them as your typical cavemen, with clubs for weapons and animal fur for clothes, and faces that resemble chimpanzees. The stereotype that cavemen are devoid of common knowledge is often paired up with these group of people; however, a study published this August by a team of archaeologists suggest that the ability to procure tar and use it as a primitive form of adhesive to make complex tools, proves their cleverness and resourcefulness that is often overlooked. In The New York Times, the article summarizes the study’s findings by demonstrating several methods the Neanderthals could have used to make tar. In general, the team of archaeologists tested out a few

Homo habilis is thought to have mastered the Lower Paleolithic Olduwan tool set which used stone flakes. These stone flakes were more advanced than any tools previously used, and gave H. habilis the edge it needed to prosper in hostile environments previously too formidable for primates.