Tumblr User Shares A Story How Craftsmen Helped Scientists Identify A Tool Created 50,000 Years Ago And Still Used Today
If you paid any attention in history class, then you’ve definitely heard about a species called the Neanderthals. They lived in Eurasia about 40.000 years ago and despite being extinct for a long time, it turns out there is a certain tool that they left us as a heritage gift. One Tumblr user decided to share his discovery after learning about a tool called a lissoir, which is still used by leather-workers to this day.
Turns out, it was actually a leather-worker himself who helped the scientists to understand what this weird tool made out of bones was. After reading this post, other users started sharing examples of craftsmen helping scientists to answer historical questions. One of those examples revolves around Rembrandt, and a weird deformation around his ears, which was later discovered by a retired ear surgeon to be a result of a failed attempt at piercing the ear.
Scroll down to read more about this incredible tool and to learn why nobody yet has managed to improve on it. (Facebook cover image: Tim Evanson)
More info: MPG
If you paid any attention in history class, you’ve definitely heard about the species called Neanderthals who lived in Eurasia almost 40,000 years ago
Image credits: Tim Evanson
Well, as it turns out, there is one of their tools that craftsmen still use to this day
Image credits: Abri Peyrony & Pech-de-l’Azé I Projects
Image credits: Rembrandt, self-portrait of 1628. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Many people were pleasantly surprised by this discovery
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Sometimes simple ancient tech is the best. Hell its been thousands of years and we have yet to improve upon the wheel as shape to move things around.
Obsidian and quartz flint have been a preferred cutting edgee from 40,000 years when compared to modern stainless steel. The edges are 300 times thinner and sharper. Both were used as weapon ends, and now for surgery
It also goes to show, that there are probably plenty more objects that have been completely misidentified by archeologists. When people don't know, naturally, they make their best guess. I'd imagine a lot of the items that have been categorized as 'ritual use' are anything but. 'We have no idea what this is or what it does, so we're going to say it was for ritual use.'
Oh yes. I've always thought the same. Aproximatly 90% of the stuff the find are for ritual use: those guys had to be praying all day...!!
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Wow! I had no idea! This is really fascinating. And I again learned something new. I assume that we today use animal bones and not human bones? :P Did neanderthals use animal bones? I'm curious.
Other animals besides humans have rib bones, Neandertals were probably not using human or neandertal bones to polish leather. All evidence is that Neandertals had burial traditions that show care and even love for the departed. Burial with ochre, flowers, tools, etc.
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Yeah...we like to thin we are so smart now...the "crown of creation". Current day engineers still cannot explain how Brunellischi built the dome in Florence with thousands of illiterate laborers and no trained engineers. In many, many ways our ancestors were more intelligent than we are.
It is interesting that now scientists find evidences confirming that even more developed civilizations had existed before our civilization. https://allatra.tv/en/video/atlantis-the-elite-in-search-of-immortality . This film shows the methods that were used to make substitutions in history, so that we already have the established stereotypes about the ancient times.
I am part of an Ancient Roman Army Re-Enactment group and historians often come to us to test their theories. Because how things were done and used, one can find out only by trying. For example, how they fought, used everyday items and so forth. Literally living how the Roman soldier would have 2000 years ago. Not to mention, it is great fun. When it comes to military, re-enactors know very often more thant the professors on certain subjects. Simple things really eve, how to put on Segmentet armour of a roman Legionary. There is no way one would know until one tries. For me, as I am a historical fiction writer, with a story set in Ancient Roman Britan, these small details are also very important. Write from experience and this is as close as one can get to experiencing the Ancient Roman Army.
This is why academics need to get out of the books and labs and classrooms periodically to live beyond their normal narrow view observation.
Pray tell us then how you know that academics have a "normal narrow view"? Is it because they are knowledgeable folks who have studied a lot? It couldn't possibly be because of baseless preconceptions on your part, judging them all in a rather degrading manner, could it?
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I am not sure that "non-academic" as much as a catholic approach to understanding the world around them. (I know 99% will not understand my word usage of "catholic", but you can look it up).
Too bad you did not expand more on your comment. It started out well but ended up having me guessing at what the point is. I also believe that vastly more than 1% of BoredPandas do understand perfectly well the word "catholic"s several meanings. Please explain what you mean.
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@joe Clark. You sir, are more ancient than the Neanderthals (umm Australopithecus probably?)
The atlatl is a spear throwing device that greatly increases the range of the weapon. It allowed our ancestors to hunt bigger game since they didn't need to be close to inflict a wound. It is used to divide the Neolithic (new) and the Paleolithic (old) stone ages and has been proposed as a major cause of our species supplanting the Neanderthals and driving them to extinction. You know what else uses the same physics? Those plastic chuckers that dog owners use to throw tennis balls.
"The more you use a bone polisher the better it works." Yes, that's the aound of a million 14 year old boys laughing.
You are wrong. According to my birth certificate world is only 37 years old concept for me.
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Sometimes simple ancient tech is the best. Hell its been thousands of years and we have yet to improve upon the wheel as shape to move things around.
Obsidian and quartz flint have been a preferred cutting edgee from 40,000 years when compared to modern stainless steel. The edges are 300 times thinner and sharper. Both were used as weapon ends, and now for surgery
It also goes to show, that there are probably plenty more objects that have been completely misidentified by archeologists. When people don't know, naturally, they make their best guess. I'd imagine a lot of the items that have been categorized as 'ritual use' are anything but. 'We have no idea what this is or what it does, so we're going to say it was for ritual use.'
Oh yes. I've always thought the same. Aproximatly 90% of the stuff the find are for ritual use: those guys had to be praying all day...!!
Load More Replies... Wow! I had no idea! This is really fascinating. And I again learned something new. I assume that we today use animal bones and not human bones? :P Did neanderthals use animal bones? I'm curious.
Other animals besides humans have rib bones, Neandertals were probably not using human or neandertal bones to polish leather. All evidence is that Neandertals had burial traditions that show care and even love for the departed. Burial with ochre, flowers, tools, etc.
Load More Replies... Yeah...we like to thin we are so smart now...the "crown of creation". Current day engineers still cannot explain how Brunellischi built the dome in Florence with thousands of illiterate laborers and no trained engineers. In many, many ways our ancestors were more intelligent than we are.
It is interesting that now scientists find evidences confirming that even more developed civilizations had existed before our civilization. https://allatra.tv/en/video/atlantis-the-elite-in-search-of-immortality . This film shows the methods that were used to make substitutions in history, so that we already have the established stereotypes about the ancient times.
I am part of an Ancient Roman Army Re-Enactment group and historians often come to us to test their theories. Because how things were done and used, one can find out only by trying. For example, how they fought, used everyday items and so forth. Literally living how the Roman soldier would have 2000 years ago. Not to mention, it is great fun. When it comes to military, re-enactors know very often more thant the professors on certain subjects. Simple things really eve, how to put on Segmentet armour of a roman Legionary. There is no way one would know until one tries. For me, as I am a historical fiction writer, with a story set in Ancient Roman Britan, these small details are also very important. Write from experience and this is as close as one can get to experiencing the Ancient Roman Army.
This is why academics need to get out of the books and labs and classrooms periodically to live beyond their normal narrow view observation.
Pray tell us then how you know that academics have a "normal narrow view"? Is it because they are knowledgeable folks who have studied a lot? It couldn't possibly be because of baseless preconceptions on your part, judging them all in a rather degrading manner, could it?
Load More Replies... I am not sure that "non-academic" as much as a catholic approach to understanding the world around them. (I know 99% will not understand my word usage of "catholic", but you can look it up).
Too bad you did not expand more on your comment. It started out well but ended up having me guessing at what the point is. I also believe that vastly more than 1% of BoredPandas do understand perfectly well the word "catholic"s several meanings. Please explain what you mean.
Load More Replies... @joe Clark. You sir, are more ancient than the Neanderthals (umm Australopithecus probably?)
The atlatl is a spear throwing device that greatly increases the range of the weapon. It allowed our ancestors to hunt bigger game since they didn't need to be close to inflict a wound. It is used to divide the Neolithic (new) and the Paleolithic (old) stone ages and has been proposed as a major cause of our species supplanting the Neanderthals and driving them to extinction. You know what else uses the same physics? Those plastic chuckers that dog owners use to throw tennis balls.
"The more you use a bone polisher the better it works." Yes, that's the aound of a million 14 year old boys laughing.
You are wrong. According to my birth certificate world is only 37 years old concept for me.
Load More Replies...
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