Prehistory is that very long period of time during which mankind (whose beginnings are defined by bipedalism, the increase in brain size and, specifically, the first knapped stone tools) left us only physical evidence (stone tools, remains of hunted and consumed fauna, and more recently bone tools, ornaments, dwellings and then funerary structures, ceramics from or shortly before the Neolithic period, etc.), right up to the first written sources that mark the beginnings of History.

To present the main knapped stones of Prehistory we will be received by the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale, in the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where many prehistoric (and historical) artefacts are kept and exhibited.

A very long Prehistory

Stressing that this is a long period, from the first human to modern Man,
 Prehistory lasts from the first stone tools, more than 3 million years ago, to the large axes and blades of the Neolithic period, a few thousand years ago.

Early Palaeolithic in the Old World

Now, let's get to the heart of the matter and discover what the very old knapped stones in East Africa looked like, right down to the more widespread bifaces of the ancient Palaeolithic. We will see successively:

  • the oldest known knapped stones dated 3.3 million years ago (Ma), discovered only a few years ago (2011, confirmed and published in 2015) in north-western Kenya by the West Turkana Archaeological Project (WTAP) as part of the French Prehistoric Mission in Kenya (MPK) led by Hélène Roche and later Sonia Harmand. 
  • the well-knapped stones of Kada Gona and Kada Hadar (Ethiopia), 2.6 to 2.7 million years old, studied by Hélène Roche (CNRS, UMR 7055 Prehistory and Technology "PreTech"). 
  • the core with numerous flakes from Lokalalei 2c (north of Lake Turkana, north-western Kenya) excavated by H. Roche (WTAP) and reassembled by Anne Delagnes (CNRS, UMR PreTech, and later UMR PACEA), dated from 2.4 to 2.3 Ma. 
  • the first known bifaces, 1.8 to 1.7 million years old, excavated by H. Roche (WTAP) and studied by Pierre-Jean Texier (CNRS, DR emeritus), originating from the Kokiselei site (north-western Kenya). 
  • two examples of more "evolved" but undated bifaces, the first from India, still rough because knapped with a stone hammer. The second from Algeria, much more regular because shaped with an organic hammer (hard plant wood or deer antlers).

Early and Middle Palaeolithic in Europe

Almost everywhere bifaces gave way to industries with tools on flakes, taken from various debitages, including the famous Levallois debitages. Moreover, in Western Europe, you will see that the oldest known Palaeolithic dates back to more than a million years ago (Atapuerca, Spain).

Late Palaeolithic in Europe

The Late Palaeolithic in Europe is the period of modern Man, of the development of tools on blades, but also of bladelets and microblades as lithic barbs of projectile points, and special tools of the Solutrean, before simplification and "geometrisation". 

The Neolithic in Europe

The Neolithic period, in Europe as well as in other parts of the world, is characterized by new tools, new materials and new techniques.

Specialised works from the end of Prehistory

Here are some exemples of the specialised works from the end of Prehistory, such as the large flint and tenaceous rock axes, the large flint blades shaped like "daggers"...

 

Bibliographical references

  • D. Grimaud-Hervé, F. Serre, J.-J. Bahain, R. Nespoulet & R. Pigeaud 2015 (5th edition) - Histoires d'ancêtres. La grande aventure de la Préhistoire. Errance.
  • S.A. de Beaune & A. Balzeau, 2009 - La Préhistoire. Chronique / CNRS Editions (new edition in 2016 as Notre Préhistoire. Belin Sciences).
  • J.-F. Dortier (dir.) - Révolution dans nos origines. Collection of articles published in the journal Sciences Humaines.

Online resources

  • Hominidés : extensive portal to documents and publications on Prehistory and anthropology. Even if some of the data is a little dated, it provides an accessible presentation of the documentation and a gateway to a wide range of topics.
  • 3.3-million-year-old stone tools from Lomekwi 3, West Turkana, Kenya. (Sonia Harmand, Jason E. Lewis, Craig S. Feibel, Christopher J. Lepre, Sandrine Prat, Arnaud Lenoble, Xavier Boës, Rhonda L. Quinn, Michel Brenet, Adrian Arroyo, Nicholas Taylor, Sophie Clément, Guillaume Daver, Jean Philip Brugal, Louise Leakey, Richard A. Mortlock, James D. Wright, Sammy Lokorodi, Christopher Kirwa, Dennis V. Kent, and Hélène Roche. Nature, 21 May 2015).