A Comparative Analysis of Wood Residues on Experimental Stone Tools and Early Stone Age Artifacts: A Koobi Fora Case Study

摘要

There have been recently reported plant residues on stone tools from the Okote Member, Koobi Fora, Kenya. No comparative microscopy, however, was available for more specific identification of the residues. Experimental research, using replica basalt tools, was conducted on six different trees native to the Koobi Fora region. Wood anatomy observed through reflected light microscopy (100-500x) of the experimental tools was compared to residues on the archaeological materials. Similar anatomical structures and patterning of residues were visible in both samples. This further supports recent evidence of woodworking by early hominids approximately 1.5 million years ago.