Japanese scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have prepared and tested replicas of Stone Age tools to better understand how they were used by humans during the Paleolithic period. The study was published in the scientific journal broadcasting Journal of Archaeological Science (JAS).
It is believed that primitive man created polished stone tools for better processing of wood about 10 thousand years ago. However, archaeological findings show that polished stone axes date back much further; The works date back to 60 thousand to 30 thousand years ago.
The team made several copies of tools from the Early Upper Paleolithic Age (about 38 thousand years ago), using manufacturing methods available at the time.
Scientists then used these axes to chop down trees, cut carcasses, and process skins. After the tests, experts examined the cutting edges to detect characteristic damage and compared the results with markings on prehistoric tools.
It turns out that cracks in the axes’ blades indicate that primitive people actually used them to chop wood. This suggests that woodworking methods may have been mastered by ancient man about 30 thousand years earlier than archaeologists believe.
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