IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v518y2015i7538d10.1038_nature13962.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Homo erectus at Trinil on Java used shells for tool production and engraving

Author

Listed:
  • Josephine C. A. Joordens

    (Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9515, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
    Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Francesco d’Errico

    (Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5199, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France
    Institute of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion, University of Bergen, Øysteinsgate 3PO Box 7805, Bergen, Norway)

  • Frank P. Wesselingh

    (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, PO Box 9517, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands)

  • Stephen Munro

    (School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, 0200 Canberra, Australia
    National Museum of Australia, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Canberra, Australia)

  • John de Vos

    (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, PO Box 9517, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands)

  • Jakob Wallinga

    (Wageningen University, Soil Geography and Landscape Group & Netherlands Centre for Luminescence Dating, PO Box 47, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
    Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Mekelweg 15, 2629JB, Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Christina Ankjærgaard

    (Wageningen University, Soil Geography and Landscape Group & Netherlands Centre for Luminescence Dating, PO Box 47, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
    Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Mekelweg 15, 2629JB, Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Tony Reimann

    (Wageningen University, Soil Geography and Landscape Group & Netherlands Centre for Luminescence Dating, PO Box 47, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
    Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Mekelweg 15, 2629JB, Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Jan R. Wijbrans

    (Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Klaudia F. Kuiper

    (Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Herman J. Mücher

    (Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9515, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
    Prinses Beatrixsingel 21, 6301VK, Valkenburg, The Netherlands)

  • Hélène Coqueugniot

    (Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5199, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France)

  • Vincent Prié

    (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7205, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CP51, 55 Rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
    Biotope Recherche et Développement, 22 Boulevard Maréchal Foch, 34140 Mèze, France)

  • Ineke Joosten

    (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, PO Box 1600, 3800BP, Amersfoort, The Netherlands)

  • Bertil van Os

    (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, PO Box 1600, 3800BP, Amersfoort, The Netherlands)

  • Anne S. Schulp

    (Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, PO Box 9517, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
    Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, De Bosquetplein 7, 6211KJ, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Michel Panuel

    (Faculté de Médecine, Université d′Aix-Marseille, EFS, CNRS UMR 7268, Boulevard Pierre Dramard, 13344 Marseille, France
    Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille, Chemin de Bourrellys, 13915 Marseille, France)

  • Victoria van der Haas

    (Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9515, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands)

  • Wim Lustenhouwer

    (Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • John J. G. Reijmer

    (Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Wil Roebroeks

    (Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9515, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Argon and luminescence dating of fossil shell infills from Trinil in Java, where Homo erectus lived, reveals that the hominin-bearing deposits are younger than previously thought; perforated shells, a shell tool and an engraved shell indicate that Homo erectus ate freshwater mussels, used their shells as tools and was able to create abstract engravings.

Suggested Citation

  • Josephine C. A. Joordens & Francesco d’Errico & Frank P. Wesselingh & Stephen Munro & John de Vos & Jakob Wallinga & Christina Ankjærgaard & Tony Reimann & Jan R. Wijbrans & Klaudia F. Kuiper & Herman, 2015. "Homo erectus at Trinil on Java used shells for tool production and engraving," Nature, Nature, vol. 518(7538), pages 228-231, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:518:y:2015:i:7538:d:10.1038_nature13962
    DOI: 10.1038/nature13962
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13962
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature13962?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:518:y:2015:i:7538:d:10.1038_nature13962. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.