Ricerc@Sapienza

The presence of shaped stone balls at early Paleolithic sites has attracted scholarly attention since the pioneering work of the Leakeys in Olduvai, Tanzania. Despite the persistent presence of these items in the archaeological record over a period of two million years, their function is still debated. We present new results from Middle Pleistocene Qesem Cave on the use of these implements as percussion tools.

Middle Palaeolithic studies are punctuated with academic debates and reflections on how to understand the behavioural similarities between Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. Many Anglo-Saxon researchers have argued that organized hunting could only be carried out by Anatomically Modern Humans (Rendu, 2007). Indeed, despite a growing number of archaeological data speaking in favour of controlled hunting, some authors are still believing that Neanderthals were mostly scavengers (Binford, 1985; Dibble, Mellars, 1992; Stringer, Gamble, 1994).