The flint biface. The blue dots represent fatty residue.
The discovery of a 500,000 year old flint biface hand axe and a scraper at Revadim, in southern Israel, with traces of animal fat as well as an elephant rib
with cut marks indicates these early humans consumed big game,
“The biface and scraper show well-preserved and clear use-wear traces, including both edge removals and polishes. The biface use traces indicate the processing of medium-hard material throughout transversal motions, related probably to hide scraping. In the case of the scraper, the traces shows attributes associated with soft or medium material processed throughout longitudinal motion. The possible interpretation is cutting of animal tissues. Another kind of polish, that could be associated with wood, was also detected.”
Read the entire study at PLoS One: “Fat Residue and Use-Wear Found on Acheulian Biface and Scraper Associated with Butchered Elephant Remains at the Site of Revadim, Israel.”
And, to think, I thought, not much, that fat was washed out if I ate more fiber! 500,000 years of fat. Can you imagine the “stink on that”?
Nice one, wonders shall never end.