Spheroids

Spheroids as stone age tools were used by the Stone Age people in many different ways. They could inflict injuries and damage to large and medium-sized animals. Researchers assessed how well they worked by throwing them and found that 81 percent of them were capable of inflicting damage or pain.

The spheroids were not only useful for grinding plant materials, but were also used for breaking bones and sharpening grinding slabs. They were also used as bolas stones to aid in hunting. Eventually, human beings developed spears, which expanded their food supply and reduced the need for close confrontations with prey.

Cave of Hearths

The spheroids found in the Cave of Hearths were about 1.8 million years old. Researchers believe that they were used for grinding, sharpening, breaking bones, and processing plant foods. However, there is no evidence that they were used for percussion. The spheroids, found in the Cave of Hearths, may represent the oldest known spheroids.

Upper Paleolithic

Spheroids have been found as tools in both the Middle and the Upper Paleolithic. However, their manufacture is time-consuming and requires more than one hour to produce a smooth surface. Despite this, hammerstones have been used in a number of experiments and have been found at archaeological sites across North America and Central America.

Although hammerstones are considered to be ancient, little is known about them. In spite of their importance, hammerstones are often overlooked when it comes to the study of stone tools. This is largely because they are so rare and poorly understood. Hammerstones were used at various stages of the reduction process and came in different shapes and sizes.

Neolithic age

The Neolithic age saw the development of more advanced spearheads and arrows. They also used stone awls to perforate animal hides.

Stone Scrapers

Stone scrapers and hammerstones were also used. The earliest harpoons were made of stone and fixed to a rope.

Main Types

There are two main types: group A and group B. Group A harpons have shorter barbelees, while group B harpoons have longer barbelees.

Countless Debates

While there are countless debates regarding the use of spheroids, they seem to have been used by ancient man for a variety of purposes, ranging from hunting and grinding to re-sharpening grinding slabs.

Some of these tools were used for mining and preliminary processing; others were used to finish workpieces. There were various types of hammerstones, including flakes, cores, bifaces, and blanks. Some hammerstones were made for men and others for women.

Preliminary Processing

Medium-Grained Stones

The type of stone used for a given task can be determined from the shape of the stone. Hammerstones are generally made of medium-grained stones. Their weight can range from 400 to 1000 grams. Their function is to fracture fine-grained rocks, such as flint, chert, or obsidian.