Telling stories from stone tools
New approaches to categorizing stone tools aim to improve descriptions of hominid evolution
TOOL TIMING Hand axes, such as this Acheulean tool, were made as early as 1.7 million years ago. They probably had multiple uses, much like a Swiss army knife.
Stone: J. Shea, Justin Pargeter/Stony Brook Univ.; Swiss Army tools: ljpat/iStockphoto, adapted by E. Otwell
View the slideshow • View the video
Imagine if tens of thousands of years from now, archaeologists were to dig up a pile of wrecked, 20th century cars and try to figure out what people did with the strange-looking things.