Percussion tools in Olduvai Beds I and II (Tanzania): Implications for early human activities

In this paper, we focus on the description of the Olduvai Bed I and II assemblages linked to percussion activities. Our revision of the sites excavated by Leakey [Excavations in Beds I and II, 1960-1963, vol. 3, 1971] has demonstrated the dominance that lithic percussion processes-not always related to knapping activities-have in some Oldowan and Early Acheulean assemblages. We consider the technical sequences that generated the pounded pieces, evaluating the importance of such percussion processes in the framework of the activities performed at each site and its relevance for the reconstruction of early human behaviour.