Lecture by the Cercle d'Histoire et d'Archéologie des Alpes-Maritimes, by Bertrand ROUSSEL (Doctor of Prehistory, Director of the Nice Archaeology Museum).
Prehistory, the history of mankind before the invention of writing, has left many traces in the ground. Many objects from this period have always been noted for their distinctive shapes.
The aim of this talk is to look at the explanations that have been put forward for the discovery of prehistoric tools - what prehistorians today call "lithic industries".
Indeed, the polished axes of the Neolithic and the bifaces of the Lower Palaeolithic have often been interpreted, in Europe and elsewhere, as stones linked to the impact of lightning, known as "ceramics". Neolithic arrowheads, on the other hand, have sometimes been interpreted as dragon's teeth or stone tongues.
The aim of this talk is to look at the explanations that have been put forward for the discovery of prehistoric tools - what prehistorians today call "lithic industries".
Indeed, the polished axes of the Neolithic and the bifaces of the Lower Palaeolithic have often been interpreted, in Europe and elsewhere, as stones linked to the impact of lightning, known as "ceramics". Neolithic arrowheads, on the other hand, have sometimes been interpreted as dragon's teeth or stone tongues.
