A new study suggests that the addition of handles to stone tools may represent the most significant invention of early humans, surpassing even the wheel. This advancement, occurring around 500,000 years ago, led to increased energy efficiency and precision in tool use, fundamentally changing the way tools were designed and constructed. Researchers at the University of Liverpool conducted experiments showing that hafted tools provided greater leverage and force, marking a crucial evolution in early human technology and its implications for survival and development.
The transition from hand-held to hafted tool technology marked a significant shift in conceptualising the construction and function of tools.
It is assumed that addition of a handle improved the (bio)mechanical properties of a tool and upper limb by offering greater amounts of leverage, force and precision.
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