The Early Stone Age began with the most basic stone implements made by early humans. These Oldowan toolkits include hammerstones, stone cores, and sharp stone flakes. By about 1.76 million years ago, early humans began to make Acheulean handaxes and other large cutting tools. Explore some examples of Early Stone Age tools. Tools Used in the Stone Age By Luc Braybury; Updated April 24, 2018 The advent of simple tools gave human ancestors a competitive edge against the larger, stronger, and more ferocious beasts of the age.
Image copyright MPK-WTAP Image caption The tools includes sharp-edged flakes, hammers and anvils have been discovered, scientists report. They were unearthed from the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya, and date to 3.3 million years ago. They are 700,000 years older than any tools found before, even pre-dating the earliest humans in the Homo genus. The find,, suggests that more ancient species, such as Australopithecus afarensis or Kenyanthropus platyops, may have been more sophisticated than was thought. 'They are significantly earlier than anything that has been found previously,' said Dr Nick Taylor, from the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) in France and the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Image copyright MPK-WTAP Image caption This stone tool is known as a core - flakes, used for cutting, are sheared away from its edges The first tools from the site, which is called Lomekwi 3, were discovered in 2011. They were spotted after researchers took a wrong turn as they walked through the hot, dry Kenyan landscape.
By the end of 2012, a total of 149 tools had been found, and another field trip in 2014 has unearthed more still. They include sharp flakes of stone, sheared off from larger rocks, which were most likely used for cutting. Hammers and anvils were also excavated, some of which were huge in size. 'The very largest one we have weighs 15kg, which is massive,' Dr Taylor told BBC News. Youtube chiranjeevi songs. 'On this piece, it doesn't show the signs of actually having been flaked to produce other artefacts. Rather, it was probably used as an anvil. 'It probably rested in the soil and the other cobbles brought to the site, which were intended to be smashed apart to make tools, were struck against this large anvil.'
Image copyright Science Photo Library Image caption Before this discovery, Homo habilis was thought to be the first species to use stone tools The scientists do not know who made the tools discovered in Kenya. Until now, some thought that Homo habilis - known as 'handy man' - was the earliest of our ancestors in the Homo genus to use tools.
But with Homo fossils dating back to only 2.4-2.3 million years ago, it now seems unlikely that this was the first toolmaker. Other finds, such as animal bones found in Ethiopia with cut marks that date to 3.39 million years ago, also suggest tool use began before H. Scientists now believe the 3.3-million-year-old implements were crafted by another, more primitive species. Dr Taylor said: 'There are a number of possible candidates at present.
'There was a hominin called Kenyanthropus platyops, which has been found very close to where the Lomekwi 3 tools are being excavated. And that hominin was around at the time the tools were being made. 'More widely in the East African region there is another hominin, Australopithecus afarensis, which is famously known from the fossil Lucy, which is another candidate.' Image copyright Science Photo Library Image caption Australopithecus afarensis is a primitive species with both human and ape-like features Neither of these species was assumed to be particularly intelligent - they had both human and ape-like features, with relatively small brains. However the tools suggest they may have been smarter than assumed. Dr Ignacio de la Torre, from University College London's Institute of Archaeology, described this as 'a game-changing' find.
'It's the most important discovery in the last 50 years,' he told BBC News. 'It suggests that species like Australopithecus might have been intelligent enough to make stone tools - that they had the cognitive and manipulative abilities to carry tasks like this out.' Follow Rebecca.