The places where these stone tools have been found are called archaeological sites. An archaeological site is a location at which artifacts [man-made portable items] and other natural or cultural features may be present. These represent one of several different types of activities: broad scatters of tools, butchering sites, or small camps or bases.
In order to more fully appreciate the nature of early stone technology, you may wish to explore another computer module that defines some of the basic terminology and principles of "banging on rocks" - chipped stone technology. You will find a very brief overview of the archaeological context of finds in the Koobi Fora region in the next section.
{quicktime movie of description of archaeological site from Olduvai Gorge from In Search of Human Ancestors series}
The stone tools found in the Koobi Fora area have one thing in common. They represent purposive removal of flakes to produce a finished artiface. While some of these are simple, others are more complex. The tools that were created in many cases where done so for a specific purpose. In general, the earliest tools reflect the following:
