New Research In
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences
Featured Portals
Articles by Topic
Biological Sciences
Featured Portals
Articles by Topic
- Agricultural Sciences
- Anthropology
- Applied Biological Sciences
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics and Computational Biology
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Ecology
- Environmental Sciences
- Evolution
- Genetics
- Immunology and Inflammation
- Medical Sciences
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Plant Biology
- Population Biology
- Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
- Sustainability Science
- Systems Biology
Reply to Barkai: Implications of the Konso bone handaxe
This article has a Letter. Please see:
- Lower Paleolithic bone handaxes and chopsticks: Tools and symbols? - October 27, 2020
See related content:

We welcome Ran Barkai’s thoughts (1) on the symbolic significance of the Konso bone handaxe that we recently reported (2). First, we agree that African Homo erectus at 1.4 Mya may have been considerably sophisticated in their cognitive capacities, including potential symbolic perception and behavior. Indeed, the technological context of the find suggests a higher level of cognition than previously thought, a point we further discuss below. Next, we note that, although bone marrow was exploited, fragmented fresh bones at processing sites are covered with soft tissue. One experimental work (3) reports that presence of periosteum precludes efficient controlled percussion, and another reports that weathered bone …
↵1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: gsuwa{at}um.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Purchase access
Subscribers, for more details, please visit our Subscriptions FAQ.
Please click here to log into the PNAS submission website.
Citation Manager Formats
Sign up for Article Alerts
Article Classifications
- Biological Sciences
- Anthropology