According to a study, even inconspicuous fragments can contain important information for science: 300,000-year-old flint fragments from the Schöningen site in Lower Saxony provide information on the use of tools in the Palaeolithic Age. These are small fragments of the cutting tools that were created during resharpening. They can thus provide information about the use of the original pieces, the scientists explain.
The town of Schöningen in Lower Saxony is famous for its finds from around 300,000 years ago: in addition to numerous animal remains, various traces of human presence were discovered there. They are assigned to Homo heidelbergensis or early Neanderthals. Of particular importance was the discovery of the oldest known wooden spear in the world. In 2020, archaeologists reported another exciting discovery in Schöningen: They came across the almost complete skeleton of a Eurasian forest elephant, which apparently had died on the former lake shore. What is special: "We were able to prove that human beings were in the vicinity of the elephant carcass," says co-author Jordi Serangeli from the University of Tübingen.
Chipped off tools
In the area of the skeleton, three artefacts made of bone were discovered, which are interpreted as implements for re-sharpening stone tools. In addition, numerous splinters of flint were found, most of which are smaller than one centimeter. It is therefore obviously the waste that arose during processing. The scientists have now devoted a study to these fragments. First author Flavia Venditti from the University of Tübingen says: "One tends to think that large tools such as knives, scrapers and points are more important than simple chips, especially when these are small and really only leftovers from processing. But even microscopically small splinters can tell us a lot about the way of life of our ancestors in connection with the overall finding," says the scientist.
The team studied the 57 small stone artefacts in a multidisciplinary approach that included technological and spatial analysis. "Through the analysis of signs of use and residues as well as methods of experimental archeology, we were able to make the stone fragments speak, so to speak," says Venditti. Basically, it was initially confirmed: "The chips come from knife-like tools, they were created when resharpening," says Venditti. According to her, they apparently remained lying around while people took their tools back with them.
Processing of wood and meat
In detail, the analyzes showed: Fifteen pieces showed signs of use, such as typically occur when fresh wood is processed. "Microscopically small pieces of wood also stuck to the former working edges of the tools," says Venditti. In one case, the researchers were also able to detect traces of animal tissue. The fragment apparently came from a sharp-edged flint that people used at the time to process fresh animal tissue. "This flint was probably used when cutting up the elephant," explains Venditti.
The results are further evidence of the combined use of stone, bone and plant technologies by the human beings who lived in the area of the former lake 300,000 years ago, the researchers say. Senior author Nicholas Conard from the University of Tübingen also emphasizes the groundbreaking importance of the study: "It shows how detailed analyzes of signs of use and micro-remains can also provide information on small stone artifacts, which are often not given much attention. It is the first time that such comprehensive results are presented,” said the scientist. However, this requires a meticulous approach: "The prerequisite is that the stone artefacts are treated extremely carefully from the excavation to the examination," emphasizes Conard.
Source: University of Tübingen, specialist article: Scientifics Reports, doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-24769-3