Prehistoric Knapped Blade Collection excavated in the Sahara Desert, Africa

The Birth of Ingenuity

In the year two million six hundred thousand BC a man came across a small pack of canids ravaging a carcass under a tree. Desperately hungry, he picked up a rock and flung it at the animals. He threw another; then one more; and he kept on throwing until they dispersed. Approaching, he noticed one rock stuck in the tree and wrenched it free. The edge was sharp. Instinctively, he knew the stone would cut the meat, except it was not sharp enough. Grabbing another rock he chipped away at the edge until a finely honed blade was in his hands. No word existed for the object he was creating nor could he know it would be discovered millions of years later. 

These archeological finds have been framed in a linen-lined shadow box

This week’s New Arrival features a set of prehistoric knapped blades. Excavated in the Sahara Desert, their creation predates any sort of written or oral human history. When they were created there were no words for knife, blade or weapon. In fact, language as we know it didn’t exist at all; but the people who created these did communicate. They also found utility in the objects around them. The simple act of using one stone to shape another gave them an advantage in their world. In ours, it continues to tell a story about human ingenuity and innovation, resourcefulness, the will to survive, and ultimately, the desire to create a better future.

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