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Ancient humans precisely navigated Israel to find right stones for tools, study suggests

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A new study suggests early humans in ancient Israel navigated with precision to find specific basalt sources for their tools.
  • Researchers analyzed chemical signatures of tools and compared them to local basalt flows, identifying sources within about a kilometer, including some now buried or eroded.
  • The findings indicate early hominins deliberately sought basalt with specific qualities for different tools, a tradition passed down through generations.

Early hominins living in Israel's Galilee region possessed a sophisticated understanding of their landscape, precisely navigating to locate specific rock sources for tool production, a new study reveals. Gesher Benot Ya'akov (GBY), a significant prehistoric site dating back approximately 780,000 years, has yielded evidence of advanced hominin activities, including the use of fire, plants, animals, and fish.

Hominins had to select large basalt slabs, work them down into massive cores, strike off large flakes, and then carefully shape those flakes into finished handaxes.

— StudyDescribing the complex process of creating basalt tools.

Basalt was particularly important at GBY for crafting large cutting tools like handaxes and cleavers. This process demanded planning, skill, and a deep knowledge of basalt's properties. The new research focused on pinpointing the exact origins of the basalt used. By comparing the chemical fingerprints of basalt artifacts with samples from nearby geological formations, including those found deep underground, scientists successfully matched many tools to sources within a kilometer of the site.

Intriguingly, some tools were chemically linked to basalt sources no longer visible on the surface, likely buried or eroded over millennia. The analysis also showed that different types of basalt were used for distinct tools; cleavers, for instance, often originated from different sources than the basalt used for most handaxes and giant cores. This suggests early humans deliberately selected basalt with particular qualities suited for specific implements.

Such a process required planning, technical skill, and detailed knowledge of basalt's properties.

— StudyHighlighting the cognitive abilities required for toolmaking.

The pattern of selective sourcing was consistent across multiple archaeological layers at GBY, spanning tens of thousands of years. This consistency points to a learned tradition rather than isolated incidents, painting a picture of early hominins as deliberate and skilled craftspeople, rather than mere opportunistic scavengers.

early hominins as far more than opportunistic scavengers of whatever stone lay

— StudyConcluding the findings on hominin behavior and skill.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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