Table of Contents
The Oldowan is the oldest discovered stone tool industry. These tools are the major milestone in human evolutionary history dating as far back as 2.5 million years ago and the earliest evidence of cultural behavior. It is believed that the Homo habilis, the ancestor of Homo sapiens, manufactured these tools. Choppers made from battered, edged cores and heavy-duty scrapers are the typical examples of Oldowan. Most likely those Oldowan tools served as primitive cutting instruments and our ancestors might have used them to scavenge meat, cut plants, or conduct basic woodworking. To know more stay with the blog.
The term Oldowan was used widespread stone tool archaeological style in prehistory. It was found that in early period the formation of tools were simple and usually made by chipping one stone by using the other big or heavy stone. It is believed the the Oldowan tools were used during the Lower Paleolithic period form 2.9 million years ago up to until at least 1.7 million years ago. It was used by the early humans called ancient Hominins across Africa.
It is also believed that this technological style was also further followed by the more sophisticated Acheulean industry, because two sites associated with Homo erectus at Gona in the Afar Region of Ethiopia from 1.5 and 1.25 million years ago have found both Oldowan and Acheulean style tools.
The term Oldowan has taken from where?
The term Oldowan is taken from the site of Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. where the first Oldowan stone tools were discovered in 1930.
What is the name of the archaeologist who discovered the oldowan tools first?
Louis Leakey a Kenyan-British paleoanthropologist and archaeologist have discovered the oldowan tools first.
However some of the contemporary archaeologists and paleoanthropologists prefer to use the term Mode 1 tools, Mode 2 tools and Mode 3 tools.
-They wanted to designate the pebble tool in Mode 1 tools (including Oldowan).
-Similarly They designated bifacially worked tools in Mode 2 tools.
-And They designated prepared-core tools, and other finished tools in Mode 3 tools category.
Classification of the Oldowan tools
Mary Leakey was the first lady archaeologist who create a system to classify the gathered Oldowan discovered material and she built this system based on prescribed use.
In this system she separately classified as –
-The cutting tools (the choppers),
-The cleaning and digging equipment (the scrapers), and
-The lifting tool the heavy objects (the pounders).
However recently more classifications have been made for the discovered objects of Oldowan focused that primarily based on manufacture due to the assuming the problem solving aspect and the nature of use of the stone artefacts.
The study of Oldowan tools have been categorized as tri-modal categories –
-“Flaked Pieces” (cores/choppers),
-“Detached Pieces” (flakes and fragments),
-“Pounded Pieces” (cobbles utilized as hammerstones, etc.)
-“Unmodified Pieces” (manuports, stones transported to sites).
The experts believe that It is not sure which hominin species created and used these Oldowan tools. The emergence of the tools is often associated with the species Australopithecus garhi and the flourishing of the tools belongs with the early species of Homo such as H. habilis and H. ergaster.
The experts believe that the early Homo erectus appears to inherit Oldowan technology and refines this technology into the Acheulean tool period which begin 1.7 million years ago.
Dates and Ranges of Oldowan tools
-The oldest known Oldowan tools have been found at Nyayanga on the Homa Peninsula in Kenya are dated back to 2.9 million years.
-The Oldowan tools were associated with Paranthropus teeth and two butchered hippo skeletons.
-Early Oldowan tools are also known as Gona in Ethiopia (which is near the Awash River).
-The Oldowan tools are made from bone, wood, or other organic materials were therefore in all probability used before the Oldowan.
-Oldowan stone tools are simply the oldest recognizable tools which have been preserved in the archaeological record.
source of information is https/wikipedia.org and www.google.com
Click Here to attempt the related MCQ/Quiz
List of Oldowan Sites and the Name of their Archaeologists
All the best for a brightest future.