Elephants, acheulian tools, and large game preccessing: a use-wear and experimental perspective from Lower Paleolithic Revadim, Israel

Using low and high power magnification approach, we analysed handaxes, scrapers, notches and retouched flakes from Locality 21 looking at both edge damage and/or the microwear (polishes, abrasions and striations) present on these tools. From our analyses it is possible to highlight the average state of preservation of the materials from Locality 21 of Revadim, despite the age of the site, which allowed proposing several hypothesis about the tools’ use. Throughout our microscopic analysis we have identified evidence suggesting the possible use of several lithic implements for processing medium hard materials.
The wear generated on the experimental tools and the pattern identified on the archaeological sample from Locality 21 are compared in order to suggest the probable use of the Acheulian artefacts. Our research provides a rare opportunity to study the function of Lower Paleolithic artefacts directly associated with elephant remains and discuss the possibility that these tools were actually used in processing large game. Indeed, the presence of either edge damage or polishes allows speculating about the actual use of the tools recovered at Revadim Locality 21, and provides strong and direct evidence related both to the behaviour of Acheulian human groups and the exploitation of elephants.