achuelian - tool culture

Question 1

who used it and when?

Answer 1

homo erectus
200 000 - 1.8 million years ago

Question 2

what are the materials used?

Answer 2

large flakes struck from a boulder

Question 3

what are the manufacture techniques used?

Answer 3

hard hammer percussions
tear shaped + bifacial (hand held)

Question 4

what are the tools used for?

Answer 4

hand axes
hammers
skinning knives
chopping bones
cutting meat
digging for roots and bulbs

Question 5

how has the tool changed their lifestyle?

Answer 5

knives to slaughter prey
fire to cook food + hunt
animal hides used
division of labour
- 70% of diet from gathering (women)
- hunting and scavenging (men)

Question 6

how has the tool changed their cognitive abilites?

Answer 6

bulge in brocca’s and wernick’s areas = speech + language possible
increased ability to plan and co-ordinate hunting
hunting means larger prey = more protein for larger brain
fire increases digestability = more protein intake