prepared-core tool

A "core tool" is a Stone Age implement created by striking flakes from a nodule of stone. This technique was a significant advancement in early human behavior, allowing for more efficient processing of animal carcasses and extraction of marrow.12

The Acheulean industry, dating back 1.7 to 1.5 million years ago, is known for its standardized toolmaking traditions, including hand axes and cleavers. Later, the "prepared-core" tool technique emerged, where a stone core was meticulously shaped so that a single blow would detach a nearly finished tool. This technique was mastered by Neanderthals and is associated with the Mousterian industry. These early tools, primarily made of stone like flint, were crucial for survival, enabling tasks such as cutting, scraping, and hunting.32456