Wednesday, September 2, 2015

3.4-million-year-old butchered animal bones found in Ethiopia

Marks found on 3.4-million-year-old bones discovered in Ethiopia may be evidence of ancient butchering by stone tools.

“Our analysis clearly shows that the marks on these bones are not characteristic of trampling,” says Jessica Thompson, an assistant professor of anthropology at Emory University and lead author of the study. “The best match we have for the marks, using currently available data, would still be butchery with stone tools.”

The 12 marks on the two specimens – a long bone from a creature the size of a medium antelope and a rib bone from an animal closer in size to a buffalo – most closely resemble a combination of purposeful cutting and percussion marks, Thompson says. “When these bones were hit, they were hit with enormous force and multiple times.”

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Story: Emory University | Story: Zeresenay Alemseged

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