Early Humans
As modern man first developed in the Great Rift Valley of Africa, the first development of tools is found there as well:
- Homo habilis, residing in East Africa, developed the first toolmaking industry, the Olduwan, around 2.3 million BCE.
- Homo ergaster developed the Acheulean stone tool industry, specifically hand-axes, in Africa, 1.5 million BCE. This tool industry spread to the Middle East and Europe around 800,000 to 600,000 BCE. Homo erectus begins using fire.
- Homo sapiens sapiens or modern man created bone tools and the back blade around 90,000 to 60,000 BCE, in Southern and East Africa. The use of bone tools and back blades became characteristic of later stone tool industries. The appearance of abstract art is during this period. The oldest abstract art in the world is a shell necklace dated 82,000 years in the Cave of Pigeons in Taforalt, eastern Morocco. The second oldest abstract art and the oldest rock art is found in the Blombos Cave at the cape in South Africa, dated 77,000 years.
Read more about this topic: Science And Technology In Africa
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