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An Elephant Bone Kept Stone Tools Sharp
Microscopy and 3D scans identified a nearly 500,000-year-old Boxgrove bone fragment as a repeatedly used retoucher.
Summary
Microscopy and 3D scans identified a nearly 500,000-year-old Boxgrove bone fragment as a repeatedly used retoucher.
Flint fragments embedded in impact marks show that early humans used the dense elephant or mammoth bone to repair handaxes. The Science Advances analysis makes it the oldest known elephant-bone tool in Europe, though the species and whether people hunted or scavenged the animal remain unknown.
Why it matters
Microscopy and 3D scans identified a nearly 500,000-year-old Boxgrove bone fragment as a repeatedly used retoucher.
Limits and context
- The Science Advances analysis makes it the oldest known elephant-bone tool in Europe, though the species and whether people hunted or scavenged the animal remain unknown.
Key claims
Microscopy and 3D scans identified a nearly 500,000-year-old Boxgrove bone fragment as a repeatedly used retoucher.
Qualification: The Science Advances analysis makes it the oldest known elephant-bone tool in Europe, though the species and whether people hunted or scavenged the animal remain unknown.
Evidence: source-2026-07-28-019
Sources
- University College London via ScienceDaily: Boxgrove elephant-bone retoucherUniversity College London via ScienceDaily · secondary reporting
Corrections
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