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STONE AGE WEAPONS-MAKING TECHNOLOGY UNEARTHED IN ARMENIA
China Topix
Sept 26 2014
Ana Verayo
Thousands of tools from the Paleolithic era some 325,000 years ago
recovered from a site in Armenia have given scientists more data
about how ancient technological developments evolved and spread across
the globe.
Researchers from all over the world, including a team from Royal
Holloway, University of London, had reasons to believe they found
strong evidence that an ancient technique called Levallois used
to make hunting weapons was actually invented in Africa and later
promulgated to other continents.
Proof of this theory was provided at a site in Armenina that yielded
found tools related to this kind of technology. Researchers believe
this technology was apparently already part of these ancient Armenian
communities that thrived some 325,000 to 335,000 years ago.
In this part of the world, this technique is called biface that can
be described as something similar to Levallois. These tools were
analyzed and researchers dated the volcanic material used in the
tools discovered in Nor Geghi in Kotayk Province, Armenia.
The discovery of thousands of these ancient tools provided fresh,
new insights that ancient communities were actually more innovative
considering they existed 325,000 years ago. These communities adapted
two different technologies to make tools that were pivotal to their
hunting culture.
As human populations expanded, the Levallois and biface techniques
quickly spread across Africa to Eurasia. After dating the tools
found in Armenia, scientists concluded the biface technique developed
independently and is not a derivative of the Levallois, although the
two are strikingly similar in technique.
Both techniques use a mass of stone shaped into hunting tools and
weapons that resemble sharp, thin flakes. The difference is the
Levallois technique shaped tools by striking flakes from a prepared
core reminiscent of lithic reduction.
On the other hand, the biface technique is more basic. It uses two
sides of a stone to carve out flakes to form bigger tools such as axes.
This archaeological study was published in the journal, Science.
http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/12693/20140926/stoneage-weapon-making-technology-found-in-armenia-325-000-years-ago.htm
From: Baghdasarian
China Topix
Sept 26 2014
Ana Verayo
Thousands of tools from the Paleolithic era some 325,000 years ago
recovered from a site in Armenia have given scientists more data
about how ancient technological developments evolved and spread across
the globe.
Researchers from all over the world, including a team from Royal
Holloway, University of London, had reasons to believe they found
strong evidence that an ancient technique called Levallois used
to make hunting weapons was actually invented in Africa and later
promulgated to other continents.
Proof of this theory was provided at a site in Armenina that yielded
found tools related to this kind of technology. Researchers believe
this technology was apparently already part of these ancient Armenian
communities that thrived some 325,000 to 335,000 years ago.
In this part of the world, this technique is called biface that can
be described as something similar to Levallois. These tools were
analyzed and researchers dated the volcanic material used in the
tools discovered in Nor Geghi in Kotayk Province, Armenia.
The discovery of thousands of these ancient tools provided fresh,
new insights that ancient communities were actually more innovative
considering they existed 325,000 years ago. These communities adapted
two different technologies to make tools that were pivotal to their
hunting culture.
As human populations expanded, the Levallois and biface techniques
quickly spread across Africa to Eurasia. After dating the tools
found in Armenia, scientists concluded the biface technique developed
independently and is not a derivative of the Levallois, although the
two are strikingly similar in technique.
Both techniques use a mass of stone shaped into hunting tools and
weapons that resemble sharp, thin flakes. The difference is the
Levallois technique shaped tools by striking flakes from a prepared
core reminiscent of lithic reduction.
On the other hand, the biface technique is more basic. It uses two
sides of a stone to carve out flakes to form bigger tools such as axes.
This archaeological study was published in the journal, Science.
http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/12693/20140926/stoneage-weapon-making-technology-found-in-armenia-325-000-years-ago.htm
From: Baghdasarian