Anthropology help wanted

1. Homo erectus continued to use the Oldowan chopper tool technology but also made better stone tools than did early Homo. Starting around 1.4 mya in Africa, H. erectus also made more elaborate tools we call "Acheulean“. Acheulean tools typically have flakes knocked off from both sides to form a bifacial edge but instead of forming just a point or short edge, the edge goes all the way around the tool making a bifaces and instead of being shaped like the original cobble with a few flakes banged off, the tool has a distinct, intentional form. The most typical form is the handaxe, which is fairly flat and teardrop shaped. These regular, consistent forms indicate that they were intentionally made that way and that H. erectus had the mental ability to visualize the shape of the tool, and the skill to realize the plan = mental models. There is some debate about what these Acheulean handaxes were used for. Some of the more reasonable possibilities that have been suggested: used like axes to chop up carcasses of large animals? used for digging for roots, burrowing prey, and/or water fowl hunting?! Importance of colour, placement of fossil

2. Some of the Acheulian sites have produced evidence of big-game eating. For example in Spain they found a substantial number of elephant remains and unmistakable evidence of human presence in the form of tools but, so these finds of bones in association with tools tell us that the humans definitely were big-game hunters?? Some think the big game may have been scavenged. It is still unclear whether erectus deliberately butchered different kinds of game; although unclear how they killed them, we can be sure that they consumed it and most definitely hunted smaller game. Other sites have possible evidence of communal hunting, where animals may have been driven into a specific area.

2. & 3. At Schoningen, Germany archaeologists have recovered 400 ky old spruce spears that are fire hardened along with other evidence for systematic hunting. Evidence from Boxgrove, England and Torralba and Ambrona sites in Spain also suggest cooperative hunting.

3. Further because erectus was the first hominid to be found throughout the old world and in areas with freezing temperatures, most anthros believe they had learned to control fire. There is archaeological evidence of fire in some early sites, but fires can be natural events thus, whether fire was under deliberate control by erectus is difficult to establish. It is hard to imagine that erectus could move into these areas without the use of fire, and if not, clothing would have been necessary.

4. We can use skeletal evidence to determine whether homo erectus had developed language. With erectus, there was a remodelling of the brain, in particular differential growth of the frontal and posterior portions of the brain; in other words, homo erectus brain is more similar in form to our brain. Analysis of the endocast, or the fossilized brain, of some erectus skeletons have showing that their right and left halves of the brain control different aspects of their behaviour, just like us; this has been interpreted by some to suggest that by 1.7 mya erectus would have possessed linguistic skills and the ability to manipulate symbols. Some have suggested that it had the language of a 6 year old; however, other research has shown the exact opposite - that erectus’ brain development is more like that of apes than modern humans. Thus the jury is still out on this one.

5. Bodo site in Ethiopia – cut marks around eye socket on cranium; Possible ritual defleshing of cranium; At Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Spain) argued see deliberate, ritual burial; finally, possible female figure in volcanic scoria at acheulian site of Berekhat Ram (Israel) dating to 230,000 ya

The archaeological finds of tools and other cultural artifacts dating from 1. 8 mya to about 200,000 ya are assumed to have been produced by Homo erectus

Unfortunately, fossils are not usually associated with theses materials; therefore, it is possible that some of the tools were produced by hominids other than erectus such as habilis or even later homos

With regards to erectus’ culture, we can say a few things about their tool tradition, diet, use of fire, and language

Other Ritual Evidence

Bodo site in Ethiopia

Cut marks around eye socket on cranium

Possible ritual defleshing of cranium

Sima de los Huesos, Atapuerca, Spain

Deliberate, ritual burial

Berekhat Ram, Israel

Possible female figure in volcanic scoria

230 kya (late Acheulian)

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Isimila, Tanzania