Ithimba labacwaningi elisebenzisana nezikhungo eziningana eSpain, elisebenzisana nozakwabo ababili abavela eFrance nelinye elivela eJalimane lithole iworkshop yokwenza i-handaxe ye-Obsidian kusukela eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-1.2 edlule esigodini sase-Awash e-Ethiopia. Ephepheni labo elishicilelwe kumagazini i-Nature Ecology & Evolution, leli qembu lichaza lapho ama-handax atholakala khona, isimo sawo kanye neminyaka yawo.
I-Stone Age yaqala cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-2.6 edlule, kuya cishe ku-3,300 BCE, lapho kuqala iNkathi Ye-Bronze. Izazi-mlando ngokuvamile zihlukanisa inkathi enkathini ye-Paleolithic, Mesolithic kanye ne-Neolithic. Ucwaningo lwangaphambili luye lwabonisa ukuthi “imihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi” yavela esikhathini esithile phakathi ne-Middle Pleistocene, eYurophu—cishe eminyakeni engu-774,000 kuya ku-129,000 edlule.
Imihlangano yokufundisa enjalo yathuthukiswa njengokwenza amathuluzi yashintsha yaba ikhono. Abantu abathuthukise amakhono anjalo basebenza ndawonye ezinkundleni zokucobelelana ngolwazi ukuze bakhiphe okwanele noma imaphi amathuluzi ayedingwa yilabo abasendaweni evamile. Elinye lalawo mathuluzi kwakuyi-handaxe, eyayingase isetshenziselwe ukugawula noma njengesikhali.
Ama-Handax ayenziwa ngokusika izingcezu etsheni ukuze enze unqenqema olucijile. Babenganamathele entweni; zazibanjwa ngesandla uma zisetshenziswa. Amatshe ayesetshenziswa ngokuvamile ayeyinsengetsha noma, kamuva, i-obsidian—uhlobo lwengilazi yentaba-mlilo. I-Obsidian, ngisho nasezikhathini zanamuhla, ibhekwa njengento enzima ukusebenza nayo ngoba inzima kakhulu ezandleni. Kulo mzamo omusha abacwaningi bathole ubufakazi beworkshop ye-obsidian handaxe knapping eyasungulwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi kakhulu kunakuqala.
Abacwaningi bebesebenza endaweni yokumba i-Melka Kunture lapho bethola i-handaxe egqitshwe ongqimbeni lwenhlabathi. Ngokushesha bathola okwengeziwe. Bathole angu-578 sebebonke, kanti bonke ngaphandle kwabathathu benziwe nge-obsidian. Ukuqomisana kwezinto ezizungeza izimbazo kubonise ukuthi zisuka cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-1.2 edlule.
Ucwaningo lwezimbazo lwabonisa ukuthi zonke zazenziwe ngendlela efanayo, okubonisa ukuthi abacwaningi bathole ishabhu lasendulo lokugawula. Okutholakele kuphawula isibonelo esidala kunazo zonke esaziwayo seshabhu enjalo, futhi eyokuqala yohlobo lwayo ayikho eYurophu. Abacwaningi baphawula ukuthi umsebenzi wenziwa kudala kangangokuthi abakwazi ngisho ukuhlonza ama-hominids abenza.
Ucwaningo lwanyatheliswa kumagazini I-Nature Ecology & Evolution (2023). Funda i isihloko sokuqala.
