Chopper (archaeology)
As Chopper (English: chop chop = ) is in archeology usually a roundish or oval boulders device (English: pebble tool) of the early Paleolithic mean one whose blade was produced by unilateral processing of an edge. Chopper are the oldest stone tools of humanity and at the same time the first nuclear devices. The earliest examples of this are about 2.6 million years old. Choppers are a leading form of early Oldowan in East Africa; During this time they have a strong, dominant position. In the " developed Oldowan " their distribution decreases sharply - she sinks of previously 60 % share of all tools found on only about 28 %. As a new, widespread and almost universally used tool, the tool sets by chopping.
In contrast to the beidflächigen chopping tools choppers are each made only by one-sided carving of rubble. At the same time arise haircuts, their sharp edges could have served as an early cutting tools.
As a producer of these earliest stone tools is traditionally Homo habilis, since remains of these early people form together with choppers were found. Locations would be, for example, the Olduvai Gorge (English: Olduvai Gorge ) Koobi Fora or in the Omo Valley. More recently, are discussed as manufacturers of such artifacts Homo rudolfensis and Australopithecus Garhi.
Production
Choppers are made of pebbles or other river cobbles. The Oldowan chopper consist mostly of phonolite, a volcanic rock of greenish- gray color. The preparation is carried out by means of a blow stone, which meets at a certain angle to one side of the stone to be processed; be on one side splinter knocked off and there is a tool with a sharp edge. Are then still performed more spin-offs, so the edge is longer. The finishing of stone device by means of a percussion stone ( without attachments) is called a " hard blow technique ". In the so-called " soft stroke technique ", however, a bone or piece of hardwood, for example, with an antler hammer, beaten. The production of choppers takes place partly on a stone anvil.
Even at this primitive technique of artifact production are constitutive elements of later processing techniques included. In the course of the Lower Palaeolithic, these one-, two-sided later processing will eventually develop in two directions: on the one hand, in the so-called upfront, on the other hand, in the two- pus cultures.
Type spectrum
Mary Leakey put the early sixties is in their monographs on the excavations at Olduvai Gorge, that, despite the simplicity of the arrangements of choppers, a further subdivision of these early artifacts is possible. This subdivision is based on the relation of the striking edge to the original shape of the stone, which leave frequently reconstruct retrospectively because of the simplicity of the modifications. It is generally possible to identify five subtypes of Chopper; this would be, first, the "Side Chopper" ( here is the machined surface identical to one of the lateral edges of the original stone ), secondly, the "End - Chopper" ( usually made of approximately rectangular tiles, and the "end- Chopper" define themselves the fact that the length of the interval of the machined edge to the bottom of all the choppers is the largest, and the treated edge is accordingly most of the "end " of the stone removed, although the term " end " in this context does not really seem to fit, adequate would be the word " bottom ", ie unprocessed, rounded side of the artifact ), third, the Leakey so-called "two edged chopper " and finally, variants of the side or end- chopper. With regard to their percentage distribution take the "Side Chopper" a definite primacy one; in Olduvai, for example, the proportion was found in all the choppers with 64.4 %. "End - Chopper" represent the second largest item is at least 21.9 %; the "two- edged choppers " are represented by 8.4%. The variants of the " Side" - and the "end- Chopper" make up the rest.
In the context of Mary Leakey's classification of choppers in particular the existence of "two- edged" chopper is questionable; this form of the instrument would be today attributed more to the chopping tool.
Use
The use of choppers consisted mainly in splitting the long bones of larger mammals, to gain access to the fat-containing bone marrow. Because the human dentition is not suited for tearing of raw meat, the function of the dicing and slicing of meat can be accepted. While the exploitation of carrion is controversial, hack and Cut marks on bones of hunted animals could provide direct evidence of the use of choppers in some cases. The sharp, machined edge was always used. In some cases, however, there are also tracks the use of the lower, curved surface of the chopper; this was then used as a hammer. Proved is such use by examining the cortical surface at this point: they Assigns slight tear tracks on, it can be assumed that they impinged on soft organic waste.