Was it a stone tool or just a rock? An archaeologist explains how scientists can tell the difference

By: John K. Murray, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 31, 2025

Words: 1,320

Last Updated: 1 week, 3 days ago

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By John K. Murray, Arizona State University

Have you ever found yourself in a museum’s gallery of human origins, staring at a glass case full of rocks labeled “stone tools,” muttering under your breath, “How do they know it’s not just any old rock?”

At first glance, it might seem impossible to decipher. But as an experimental archaeologist with over a decade of experience studying and manufacturing stone tools, I can say that there are …

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