Feature Archaeology

Telling stories from stone tools

New approaches to categorizing stone tools aim to improve descriptions of hominid evolution

A stone tool

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

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

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.