PB128 - GIANT BONE SMASHING OLDOWAN PEBBLE AXE CHOPPER WITH INTELLIGENT GRIP FEATURE FROM LOWER PALEOLITHIC EUROPE

Product Description

ID

Oldowan Pebble Tool

FOUND

Portugal

AGE

LOWER PALEOLITHIC:
  900,000 - 450,000 years ago

SIZE

5.25" x 4.75" x 1.65" thick

CONDITION

INTACT AND COMPLETE AS MADE
NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION

NOTE

CLASSIC CHISEL-SHAPED CHOPPING
EDGE, FLAKED FOR BONE-SMASHING
CUTTING TASKS.

TEXTBOOK PERFECT REFERENCE
EXAMPLE SHOWING ALL THE CLASSIC
TRAITS FOR A PEBBLE AXE.

Actual Item - One Only

Comes with a certificate of
authenticity / information sheet

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OLDOWAN PEBBLE TOOLS

This is a large, bone-crushing rare and complete OLDOWAN PEBBLE TOOL CHOPPER.  It was made from a large, heavy quartzite river cobble and features a multi-struck chisel-shaped chopping edge.  Unlike modern pieces, the patina on the cutting edge is heavy and well-deposited and all edges show use wear and smoothness from age and deposition.  You can see multiple struck edges from a larger circumference than is typical which makes this an especially nice specimen for demonstrating the difference between randomly broken glacier rocks to that of a deliberately struck stone.  Special characteristics in the angle and type of struck cutting edge differentiate this authentic prehistoric tool from a simple broken stone made from glacial action or frost damage.  Large pebble choppers like this were used to smash the massive bones of fauna such as mammoths, rhinos and giant deer to gain access to the nourishing marrow inside.  This Lower Paleolithic chopper displays remarkably well-executed workmanship and control to have flaked the well-formed edges.  For any Paleolithic tool collection, this is a must have specimen as an example like this shows features that are very difficult to find in today's market.  NO REPAIR and NO RESTORATION.  In "AS FOUND" condition.

The Oldowan pebble tool tradition, named after the Oldowan Gorge in Kenya, East Africa where tools were first described, represent stone tools from the earliest primitive humans.  By the time early humans made their way into Europe, PEBBLE TOOL technology had already been superseded by the proliferation of Acheulian bifacial handaxes roughly three quarters of a million years later in Africa!  These stone tool manufacturing traditions were brought into Europe by Homo erectus moving north up from Africa.  Both Pebble and Acheulian 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. 

WARNING:  There are a host of these "tools" for sale on Ebay and other websites providing less information and understanding of Lower Paleolithic specimens.  Many of these sources offer nothing more than damaged ancient river cobbles caused by environmental action (glacial disturbance, frost damage, etc.) or modern made fakes.  Every broken cobblestone found is NOT a human-created Paleolithic tool!  The determination of what is man-made and what is an ordinary broken river rock requires a very high level of understanding Paleolithic tool manufacture and technique as well as the experience to be able to differentiate the two and authenticate a genuine stone tool from this culture.  Know  your source and only deal with well-informed sellers who can help you understand the difference.