Oldowan Tools from Lokalalei, Kenya
Early humans in East Africa used hammerstones to strike stone cores and produce sharp flakes. When these stone flakes were removed from this stone core, it also created sharp edges. For more than 2 million years, early humans used these tools to cut, pound, crush, and access new foods—including meat and bone marrow from large animals.

Stone core and flake from Lokalalei, Kenya, about 2.3 million years old
Exhibit Item
Date of Discovery:
Discovered by:
A team led by Hélène Roche and Mzalendo Kibunjia
Age:
About 2.3 million years old
Site:
Lokalalei, Kenya