Answer :
Final answer:
The 'Mousterian' tools used by Homo neanderthalensis are a type of b. flake tool, crafted using the Levallois technique to create specialized instruments such as scrapers and spear points. These tools were a technological advancement requiring significant skill and conceptual understanding.
Explanation:
The "Mousterian" tools that were made and used by Homo neanderthalensis are a type of b. flake tool. The Mousterian tool industry, named after a site in Le Moustier, France, evolved from the Levallois technique, which is a stone tool manufacturing process that involves preparing a core from which flakes are struck and then shaped into tools. Neanderthals used this technique to create specialized tools such as scrapers, blades, and specifically spear points for various tasks. This level of specialization and the fact that these tools are made from flakes rather than cores distinguish Mousterian tools from earlier tool industries like the Acheulean.
Mousterian tools represent a significant technological advance over previous tool-making methods, requiring a high degree of conceptualization and understanding of stone properties. On average, about 200 blows were needed to create just one of these tools. The transition to this form of tool-making marks an important development in human prehistory in which tool kits became more specialized and efficient, directly reflecting the cognitive and practical advancements of Homo neanderthalensis.
