A History Of The World In A Hundred Objects
Number 2
Olduvai Stone Chopping Tool
Tool found in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
1.8-2 Million years old
This item is one of the oldest objects in the British Museum. It's essentially a lumb of rock that has been chiselled/chopped to have sharp edges & corners and is the earliest example of man creating a tool. The stone is roughly cut and is about the right size to fist in the palm of a hand.
It comes from nearly 2,000,000 years ago & is evidence of the first signs of the evolutionary process which let Humankind rise to the top of the evolutionary tree. The making of tools as an aide was the first steps for mankind to evolve into roughly the way we look today, it's the first step in the cultural advance of Humankind as a thinking, aware, creative, adaptive being.
The stone was found under geological layers in Tanzania where Homo Sapiens are thought to originate. Although it's a very basic implement it's function is clear, the flatter side sits in the palm of the hand and the sharp edge is obviously intended for the cutting of meat from the carcasses of hunted animals.
The tool's relevance is clear as it's the first sign that Humans were able to influence & adapt to the world & to think & create items that could be considered labour saving. Getting round the fact that as a mammal Humans are actually ill equipped for tasks that other mammals do better. Apes are quicker and stronger, big cats are faster, more agile & stronger, Elephants are huge.
Human's advantage is our bigger brain capacity & our ability to create these sorts of things is the origin of our ability to compensate for our basic disadvantages and it's obvious that this process started around the time this stone chopping tool was created. It's the earliest example of thinking about the environment & our position in it & leads to better hygiene, a more abundant diet & the capacity to move further, spread out & sustain our selves.
It's possibly the most important item on the list.
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