Stone Age People Used This 35,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammoth Tusk Tool to Make Rope
Stone Age People Used This 35,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammoth Tusk Tool to Make Rope :In 2015, archaeologists in the Hohle Fels cave in southwestern Germany found 15 pieces of mammoth ivory.
Based on radiocarbon dating of similar, previous discoveries nearby, the pieces were estimated to be between 35,000 and 40,000 years old. When assembled, they formed a 20.4-centimeter (8-inch) woolly mammoth tusk—also called the “Hohle Fels baton”—with four holes surrounded by grooves carved into its side.
Some researchers previously believed the odd ivory baton was ritualistic and used as a noisemaker, scepter, wand or piece of art. Others thought the instrument was used to straighten wooden shafts or work leather, but close analysis of the baton’s four holes led the study authors to a different conclusion: Evidence of plant and soil residue and microscopic wear and tear indicated, perhaps, that the object was actually a tool used to make rope or twine.
In an experiment using a replica of the artifact, a small team of researchers successfully created a rope made from cattail reeds. Their rope-making experiences and analyses, published Wednesday in Science Advances, refute earlier beliefs that the ivory was a piece of artwork, or served other non-utilitarian purposes.Amazing discovery 😮
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