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What were Mousterian points and denticulate tools used for?
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Neanderthal
Artist's rendering of Homo neanderthalensis, who ranged from western Europe to Central Asia for some 100,000 years before dying out approximately 30,000 years ago.
Within the Mousterian industry, which is associated with Neanderthals, specific tools were crafted for distinct utilitarian purposes:
- Triangular points: These flake tools were likely used as knives for cutting tasks.1
- Denticulate (toothed) instruments: These were produced by creating notches in a flake. They are believed to have functioned as saws or as tools for straightening shafts.1
These implements were part of a broader tool kit that included scrapers for tanning hides, awls for punching holes in leather, and burins for working with wood and bone. While some researchers suggest that variations in these tool kits reflect different cultural traditions among Neanderthal groups, others propose that the same populations simply utilized different tools to perform specific functions, such as hunting, butchering, and food preparation.21