It is named after 400,000-year-old finds made by Hazzledine Warren in a palaeochannel at Clacton-on-Sea in the English county of Essex in 1911. The artifacts found there included flint chopping tools, flint flakes and the tip of a worked wooden shaft along with the remains of a giant elephant and hippopotamus. Further examples of the tools have been found at sites including Barnfield Pit and Rickson's Pit,[2] near Swanscombe in Kent and Barnham in Suffolk; similar industries have been identified across Northern Europe. The Clactonian industry involved striking thick, irregular flakes from a core of flint, which was then employed as a chopper. The flakes would have been used as crude knives or scrapers. Unlike the Oldowan tools from which Clactonian ones derived, some were notched, implying that they were attached to a handle or shaft. Retouch is uncommon and the prominent bulb of percussion on the flakes indicates use of a hammerstone.
An "Egyptian version" of the Clactonian industry was proposed in 1972, based on excavations on the banks of the Nile River, at the 100 foot terrace.[3]
The Clactonian industry may have co-existed with the Acheulean industry, which used identical basic techniques but which also had handaxe technology; tools made by bifacially working a flint core.
The justification for considering "Clactonian" as a tradition distinct from Acheulean has been called into question in a 1994 article. The Clactonian industry may in fact be the same thing as the Acheulean and only assessed as being different due to its tools being Acheulean ones made by individuals who had no need for handaxes on the occasion that they made them. Differences in environment and the availability and quality of local raw materials may account for the differences between the two industries, which, at one point it was inferred, were only perceived by modern archaeologists.[4]
However, the 2004 excavation of a butchered Pleistocene elephant at the Southfleet Road site of High Speed 1 in Kent recovered numerous Clactonian flint tools but no handaxes. As a handaxe would have been more useful than a chopper in dismembering an elephant carcass it is considered strong evidence of the Clactonian being a separate industry. Flint of sufficient quality was available in the area and it is likely that the people who carved up the elephant did not possess the knowledge to make the more advanced bifacial handaxe.[citation needed] Proponents[who?] of the Clactonian as an independent industry point to the lack of concrete evidence in favour of it being an anomalous Acheulean industry. The precise provenance of the few attributed bifacial Clactonian tools (which point to Acheulean influence) is in dispute.[citation needed]
The traditional chronology of Clactonian being followed by Acheulean is also being increasingly challenged[by whom?] since finds of Acheulean tools were made at Boxgrove in Sussex and High Lodge in Suffolk. [citation needed] These finds came from deposits connected with the Anglian Stage, the glaciation that preceded the Hoxnian Stage and therefore would have preceded the Clactonian. Whether or not they are separate industries it would seem that the 'Clactonian' and 'Acheulean' stone tool makers would have had cultural contact with each other.
^Ashton, Nick (2017). Early Humans. London: William Collins. p. 145-47, 314. ISBN978-0-00-815035-8.
^Tester, P. J. (1984). "Clactonian Flints from Rickson's Pit, Swanscombe". Archaeologia Cantiana. 100. Kent Archaeological Society: 15–28. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
^Langer, William L., ed. (1972). An Encyclopedia of World History (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 9. ISBN0-395-13592-3.
^Ashton, N.; McNabb, J.; et al. Contemporaneity of Clactonian and Acheulian flint industries at Barnham, Suffolk in Antiquity 68 (1994), 260. pp. 585–589.
Further readingedit
Butler, C, Prehistoric Flintwork, Tempus : Strood, 2005
External linksedit
Drawings of Clactonian tools
"Stone Age elephant remains found"
April 10, 2024
clactonian, name, given, archaeologists, industry, european, flint, tool, manufacture, that, dates, early, part, interglacial, period, known, hoxnian, mindel, riss, holstein, stages, years, tools, were, made, homo, heidelbergensis, hand, from, rickson, farm, c. The Clactonian is the name given by archaeologists to an industry of European flint tool manufacture that dates to the early part of the interglacial period known as the Hoxnian the Mindel Riss or the Holstein stages c 400 000 years ago Clactonian tools were made by Homo heidelbergensis 1 ClactonianClactonian Hand axe from Rickson s Farm pit Clacton Essex Geographical rangeEnglandPeriodLower PaleolithicDatesc 424 000 c 400 000 BPType siteClacton on SeaMajor sitesBarnham Nile Swanscombe Heritage ParkPreceded byAcheuleanFollowed byMousterianIt is named after 400 000 year old finds made by Hazzledine Warren in a palaeochannel at Clacton on Sea in the English county of Essex in 1911 The artifacts found there included flint chopping tools flint flakes and the tip of a worked wooden shaft along with the remains of a giant elephant and hippopotamus Further examples of the tools have been found at sites including Barnfield Pit and Rickson s Pit 2 near Swanscombe in Kent and Barnham in Suffolk similar industries have been identified across Northern Europe The Clactonian industry involved striking thick irregular flakes from a core of flint which was then employed as a chopper The flakes would have been used as crude knives or scrapers Unlike the Oldowan tools from which Clactonian ones derived some were notched implying that they were attached to a handle or shaft Retouch is uncommon and the prominent bulb of percussion on the flakes indicates use of a hammerstone An Egyptian version of the Clactonian industry was proposed in 1972 based on excavations on the banks of the Nile River at the 100 foot terrace 3 Contents 1 The Clactonian controversy 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksThe Clactonian controversy editThe Clactonian industry may have co existed with the Acheulean industry which used identical basic techniques but which also had handaxe technology tools made by bifacially working a flint core The justification for considering Clactonian as a tradition distinct from Acheulean has been called into question in a 1994 article The Clactonian industry may in fact be the same thing as the Acheulean and only assessed as being different due to its tools being Acheulean ones made by individuals who had no need for handaxes on the occasion that they made them Differences in environment and the availability and quality of local raw materials may account for the differences between the two industries which at one point it was inferred were only perceived by modern archaeologists 4 However the 2004 excavation of a butchered Pleistocene elephant at the Southfleet Road site of High Speed 1 in Kent recovered numerous Clactonian flint tools but no handaxes As a handaxe would have been more useful than a chopper in dismembering an elephant carcass it is considered strong evidence of the Clactonian being a separate industry Flint of sufficient quality was available in the area and it is likely that the people who carved up the elephant did not possess the knowledge to make the more advanced bifacial handaxe citation needed Proponents who of the Clactonian as an independent industry point to the lack of concrete evidence in favour of it being an anomalous Acheulean industry The precise provenance of the few attributed bifacial Clactonian tools which point to Acheulean influence is in dispute citation needed The traditional chronology of Clactonian being followed by Acheulean is also being increasingly challenged by whom since finds of Acheulean tools were made at Boxgrove in Sussex and High Lodge in Suffolk citation needed These finds came from deposits connected with the Anglian Stage the glaciation that preceded the Hoxnian Stage and therefore would have preceded the Clactonian Whether or not they are separate industries it would seem that the Clactonian and Acheulean stone tool makers would have had cultural contact with each other nbsp nbsp Barnham nbsp Clacton on Sea nbsp Barnfield Pitclass notpageimage Map of England showing important sites of the Clactonian industry clickable map See also editAcheuleanReferences edit Ashton Nick 2017 Early Humans London William Collins p 145 47 314 ISBN 978 0 00 815035 8 Tester P J 1984 Clactonian Flints from Rickson s Pit Swanscombe Archaeologia Cantiana 100 Kent Archaeological Society 15 28 Retrieved 12 July 2016 nbsp Langer William L ed 1972 An Encyclopedia of World History 5th ed Boston MA Houghton Mifflin Company p 9 ISBN 0 395 13592 3 Ashton N McNabb J et al Contemporaneity of Clactonian and Acheulian flint industries at Barnham SuffolkinAntiquity68 1994 260 pp 585 589 Further reading editButler C Prehistoric Flintwork Tempus Strood 2005External links editDrawings of Clactonian tools Stone Age elephant remains found Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Clactonian amp oldid 1167114481, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
