Anthroropolith

/ænθroʊpoʊˈlɪθ/ noun

Definition

An artifact or tool made by human hands, or a rock or stone shaped by human activity; used in archaeology to distinguish human-made from natural stones.

Etymology

From 'anthropo-' (human) + 'lith' (stone). An archaeological term from the 19th-20th centuries used when classifying ancient artifacts.

Kelly Says

Archaeologists debate what counts as an anthroporolith—does a naturally sharp rock your ancestor used count, or only deliberately shaped tools? This question gets at the heart of what makes us 'human' in the first place!

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