Lower Palaeolithic small flake prehension: Use-wear and residue analyses reveal hominin grasping potential at late Acheulean sites in Israel and Italy

Abstract

There is currently substantial debate over the use of prehension or hafting of tools by hominins. Many studies have been carried out to understand the prehension and hafting of hominin tools through experiments and through study of the anatomy and muscle system of both non-human primates and humans. This paper discusses the results of the analyses of macro-traces and micro-residues of prehension found on small flakes from the late Acheulean sites of Revadim (Israel), Jaljulia (Israel) and Fontana Ranuccio (Italy). Small flakes are ubiquitous in many Late Lower Palaeolithic sites where they were used for various activities, including butchering. Their reduced size leads us to consider how they were handled and if solutions including hafting techniques were adopted. In this paper, the experimental protocol adopted, and the results obtained from macro-traces and micro-residues allowed us to develop hypotheses regarding free-hand gripping of the small flakes by hominins at Revadim, Jaljulia and Fontana Ranuccio and the role that strength and pressure played in ensuring a good grip to enable the optimal use of these tools.