What do you know about the tools and weapons of the palaeolithic age ?
Answers
Stone tools emerge in the archaeological record before the evolution of modern humans, but humans expanded these technologies into new and innovative forms. Some of these tools would be our first weapons, but before we get into the actual forms, we need to understand the materials. Your basic stone tool was made of a stone that was soft enough to break into shape, but strong enough to hold an edge. Stones like flint, obsidian, chert, and quartzite were commonly used around the world. Beyond that, early humans often used stone tools in tandem with tools made of bone or wood, most of which did not survive into the archaeological record as well as stone.
With these materials, Paleolithic humans made a myriad of tools for daily life. Here's where we encounter our first question: what defines a weapon? Paleolithic humans developed small blades of stone by chipping sharp slivers off a core and attaching it to a club or handle. Knives were made with larger stone blades, and hand-axes were made by sharpening a core into a wedge. All of these objects could have been used as weapons, but also had functions in daily life. Blades were used to scrape animal hides, knives were used to cut things, and axes were used to chop wood, bone, and other materials.