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ABOVE PHOTO SHOWS SECONDARY RETOUCH TO SHARPEN CUTTING EDGE IN THE CLASSIC ZIG-ZAG PATTERN THAT ONLY IS FOUND IN HUMAN-MADE TOOLS VERSUS FLAKES MADE FROM NATURAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES
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RARE EUROPEAN QUARTZITE OLDOWAN PEBBLE TOOL PLANING SCRAPER Eastern English Coast Near the Thames River, U.K. LOWER PALEOLITHIC PERIOD: 700,000 - 500,000 years ago Of all the rare primitive human stone tools we could offer, pebble tools from the first humans to occupy Europe are perhaps the most rare. Unlike the Oldowan Gorge in Africa where pebble tools abound and in many cases lay clearly exposed, European sites are VERY rare and scattered since the pebble tool technology had already been superseded by the proliferation of Acheulian bifacial handaxes roughly three quarters of a million years earlier! Oddly enough, these two traditions were brought into Europe by Homo erectus moving north up from Africa. Both traditions existed for a limited time together at the beginning of human existence in Europe with pebble tool technology eventually giving way to more advanced traditions of core and flake tools. Truly, no artifact could be more important or impressive to collectors of European descent than one which had been fashioned and dates back to the VERY FIRST humans of Europe! This magnificent Oldowan pebble tool was fashioned by Homo erectus over half a million years ago. This tool was collected from a site where these early humans once lived near the eastern English Coast near the Thames River in the U.K.. The site's age has been determined through stratigraphic studies and examination of remains. NOTE: This is the second and FINAL specimen of only TWO rare quartzite Oldowan scrapers that were collected. This particular Oldowan flake tool is a PLANE, a pebble flake scraper manufactured in the Oldowan tradition. It was made out of Quartzite compared to the much more prevalent flint lithic that is found there. This tool was made on a very thick flake with both sides fashioned to enable a firm grip since considerable force was used in this type of end scraper. Final photo shows grip position. A flat transverse distal cutting edge shows completely intact prehistoric flaking that was used to sharpen the edge as evidenced by the zig-zag pattern - evidence of human manufacture, not nature. The tool was used like a modern planing tool whereby you push down against the surface you want to scrape and push away from you letting the broad cutting edge shave off whatever type of material is being worked. Workmanship is excellent affording a well-thought out design and functional grip when held. Heavy patina on the surface indicates extreme long-term exposure under water. NO MODERN DAMAGE, NO REPAIR and NO RESTORATION. As found and with our highest recommendation. The first hominids in Europe migrated north from Africa some time after 700,000 years ago. Some sites in France, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia suggest that this might have occurred even earlier but evidence is not conclusive. Evidence for existence after 700,000 years is definite with many sites being dated from 700,000 to 400,000 years ago. These first humans were Homo erectus. Most of these sites were located alongside rivers or lakes where stone tools are found alongside debris and bones of large mammals. The tools of this time were very primitive having been fashioned by striking river cobbles to produce a crude chopping tool. Sometimes, the flakes were used to make scrapers and points. Human fossils and coprolites have also been discovered at sites in Southern France. The coprolites were found to contain pollen which was used to further provide evidence of an exact date of the sites. The primary source of food was the meat of big game hunted in the region. The early technology of pebble tools coexisted up to 400,000 years ago in Europe with biface axes of the Acheulian tradition. The more advanced bifaces were flaked all over and created a much more portable and defined tool. It is still not fully understood why such a primitive tool technology such as the Oldowan tradition was brought into Europe for the Acheulian bifacial tools proliferated Africa well before the migration of humans northward. No one can doubt the importance that pebble tools hold in the history of human development. Their very emergence in Africa nearly two million years ago allowed the earliest humans to butcher animals for their meat - the needed nourishment that allowed humans to survive and flourish to one day populate and rule the earth. SMALL RARE OLDOWAN SCRAPER SHOWING DELICATE ZIG-ZAG RETOUCH ON PERFECT INTACT CUTTING EDGE!
THE FINAL ONE OF ONLY TWO QUARTZITE SPECIMENS WE'LL OFFER FROM EUROPE'S FIRST HUMANS! 1.6" across $425 PB040 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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