Oldowan

The Oldowan is an archaeological term used to refer to the earliest stone tool industry in prehistory. These tools are associated with the earliest members of the genus Homo and date back to approximately 2.6 million years ago. The Oldowan industry is characterized by simple stone tools, primarily flakes and cores, which were used by early hominins for various purposes, including butchering animals and processing plant materials.

Discovery and Significance

The Oldowan tool industry was first identified at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania by archaeologists Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey in the 1930s. The discovery of these tools provided significant insights into the cognitive and motor skills of early hominins, suggesting that they had the ability to plan, execute, and use tools for specific tasks.

Characteristics of Oldowan Tools

Oldowan tools are typically made from readily available materials such as quartz, basalt, and chert. The primary types of tools include:

• Cores: These are the original stones from which flakes are struck. They often have sharp edges and were likely used for chopping and cutting.
• Flakes: These are the pieces struck off from cores. Flakes have sharp edges and were used for cutting and scraping.
• Hammerstones: These are rounded stones used to strike cores to produce flakes.

The simplicity of Oldowan tools suggests that they were made using a technique known as "hard hammer percussion," where one stone is used to strike another.

Sites and Distribution

Oldowan tools have been found at numerous sites across Africa, including:

• Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania
• Gona in Ethiopia
• Koobi Fora in Kenya

These sites provide evidence of early hominin activity and suggest that the Oldowan toolmakers were capable of adapting to different environments.

Evolutionary Implications

The development of the Oldowan tool industry marks a significant milestone in human evolution. It indicates a shift towards more complex behaviors and cognitive abilities. The use of tools allowed early hominins to exploit a wider range of resources, which may have contributed to the evolutionary success of the genus Homo.

Also see

• Acheulean
• Lomekwian
• Homo habilis
• Paleolithic
• Stone tool