Overview
- The 11-centimetre cortical bone fragment, excavated in the 1990s in West Sussex, was reanalyzed by UCL and the Natural History Museum and dated to roughly 480,000–500,000 years ago.
- 3D models and microscopic study showed intentional shaping, clustered impact notches, and tiny embedded flint, indicating repeated use to resharpen flint tools.
- Deformation patterns suggest the piece was worked while the bone was relatively fresh, though whether the animal was hunted or scavenged remains unknown.
- The material likely came from a mammoth or straight‑tusked elephant; the tool’s makers may have been early Neanderthals or Homo heidelbergensis, but the specific hominin remains unidentified.
- With no other elephant remains at the site, researchers infer deliberate selection and transport of rare raw material; the peer-reviewed Science Advances study calls for reexamining contemporaneous sites.