The meaning of the word "chop": what it is and what it was invented for

In ancient times, there was no concept of "technical progress." Although the difference between a cobblestone raised from the ground by a monkey, and a stone tool of a caveman is enormous. Approximately as between the first Bell phone and smartphone. And in those times immemorial, all products were handmade. In this article we will consider the meaning of the word "chopper".

From the archive of the past

The chopper is a primitive universal percussion instrument of the Paleolithic period, which, depending on the situation, it was possible to cut, chop, kill animals. It was found by American scientists and is very common on all continents, inhabited by a few primitive people.

"Stone ax" - that is the meaning of the word "chop", adopted among archaeologists. So it was called for a reason, because it was made by our ancestors from different rocks : flint, dense limestone and sandstone, slate, quartzite, obsidian and other species.

Another meaning of the word "chopper" is a manual ax without a handle. It looked like a stone figure resembling an amygdala, covered with chips from different sides. From one end the tool was rounded, on the other - pointed.

The process of manufacturing the chop was as follows. First they found the workpiece: dacite, flint, siliceous limestone, hornfels and so on, then another surface was treated with a new tool. It turned out a lot of deep chips. Further on the other side of the billet, a number of strokes were struck along the protruding crests. As a result of this treatment, tools of very different shapes were obtained.

Simply put, the tool of primitive man's work was basically a shock-cutting tool. This determines the meaning of the word "chopper". Briefly - the first property of the first people. With his help, they could dig out different roots, get small animals out of holes.

Varieties

In order to clarify the meaning of the word "chopper", archaeologists often use the term "bifas". This is due to the fact that in the working part of the gun two blades converged at the tip.

Types of chop can be different: in the form of heart, triangle, oval, shovel, diamond and much more.

The very first and coarse instruments of stone were called "proto-bufasy". They were larger and not so neatly made.

Varieties of chopping that appeared in the Late Paleolithic are the jib, which has longitudinal edges, but a transverse sharp blade, and a peak.