A tool is an object that can extend an individual's capability to modify the physical environment or to perform a task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates back hundreds of millennia, have developed technology composed of more complex tools, which they typically use for agriculture, hunting, domestication, cooking, manufacturing, medicine, navigation, warfare, and art.
Tools that are used in particular tasks include the handaxe and scraper for hunting; the plough and hoe for agriculture; the hammer and chisel for woodworking; the saw and file for metalworking; the ladle and funnel for cooking; the needle and spindle for sewing; and the mallet and chisel for stonemasonry.
Tools are the most important items that the prehistoric humans used to climb to the top of the food chain, by inventing and using technologies. As technology advanced, tools were invented that allowed humans to perform tasks that could not be done by hand, such as irrigation, weaving, and ceramics. In addition, tools have been used to create and develop writing and mathematics.
Tools have been used by humans throughout history and prehistory, from the Stone Age to the Industrial Age. The term "tool" is also used to refer to machine tools, which are machines that can be used to create or modify other tools.
Definitions
editThe term "tool" is used in a variety of ways. In archaeology, a tool can be a hand tool or a portable tool that is held in the hand and used for a specific purpose. For example, a scraper is a tool that can be used to scrape meat off of a bone. In zoology, a tool is anything an animal uses to perform a task or function. For example, sponges and sea urchins use spicules as skeletal support, while seals use their fur to keep warm.
In botany, a tool is anything that helps a plant to grow, such as a fertilizer, pesticide, or herbicide. In horticulture, a tool is anything used to shape or prune a plant, such as a shovel, hoe, or pruning shears. In information technology, a tool is a program that helps the user to perform a task, such as a web browser, text editor, or compiler.
History of tool use
edit
The use of tools by humans dates back hundreds of millennia. The early humans were using stones as their tools. The Oldowan tool industry, named after the Olduvai Gorge in which the first specimens were found, dates back to 2.6 million years ago. The tools were simple, usually just a rock that had been chipped or flaked to create a sharp edge. The Oldowan industry was followed by the Acheulean industry, which developed around 1.7 million years ago. It was characterized by a more sophisticated tool-making technology, including the manufacture of handaxes and cleavers. The Clovis point is a fluted projectile point that was used in the Clovis cultures of the Americas. The culture appears to have been the first widespread paleo-Indian archaeological culture. The point dates from 13,500 to 12,800 radiocarbon years ago, and is believed to have been used to hunt mammoths.
Uses of tools
editTools have been used by humans throughout history for a variety of purposes. The following are some examples of tasks that tools have been used for:
- To hunt animals for food
- To gather plants for food
- To build shelter
- To make clothing
- To make fire
- To cook food
- To farm
- To irrigate
- To weave
- To make pottery
- To navigate