In Medzhyborzh, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukrainian archaeologists have found the oldest traces of mammoth bone processing by ancient humans, dating back about 400 years. Although scientists have not yet figured out how early humans could have used these processed bones, they suggest that young members of the group used them to learn how to process harder materials, such as stone. Another explanation for the appearance of these artifacts is that they were made from mammoth bone due to a shortage of better materials in the region. Research published in International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
Scientists studied the remains of a steppe mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii) from the site of ancient people in Medzhyborzh, which dates back to the Early Paleolithic, that is, the Old Stone Age. There, they found 24 fragments of mammoth tusks, the largest of which did not exceed five centimeters in size. 11 of the discovered fragments contained traces of human processing, in particular sharpening on both sides.
One of these fragments was called a spearhead by the scientists. This small fragment, measuring 14 by 16 by 4 millimeters, had edges that met at an acute angle. However, whether such a small, pointed fragment was actually used as a spearhead is still unknown.
Another fragment, which the scientists called a nucleus, was oval in shape. The researchers suggest that these artifacts may not have had any practical use, but instead played a role in socialization in early human groups, particularly in passing on skills to younger members of the group.
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