Stone Tools from Armenian Cave Reveal Split Strategy for Survival 50,000 Years Ago
Archaeologists studying stone tools from the Ararat-1 cave in Armenia have discovered that Paleolithic humans used a 'split strategy' for survival. They curated high-quality obsidian tools for long-term use while creating expedient tools from local chert for immediate, short-term tasks.
Why it matters
This research provides deeper insight into the cognitive abilities and resource management strategies of early human populations during the Middle Paleolithic period.
Ararat-1 , a modest limestone cave that lies at an elevation of 1,034 m on the eastern flanks of the Ararat Depression in central Armenia, has yielded a striking puzzle about how Middle Paleolithic humans moved across their landscape.
A look at Ararat-1 Cave from the bottom of the Ararat Depression. Image credit: Ariel Malinsky Buller.
“The Caucasus is a geographically and ecologically diverse region that created a complex environment for past human populations and endemic species of flora and fauna,” said Dr. David Nora from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his colleagues.
“The region hosts a rich archaeological record, with the Middle Paleolithic being the most represented period, encompassing approximately 60% of the over 450 known Paleolithic sites.”
“These sites include caves, rock shelters, open-air sites, and single-find spots.”
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