They’re extremely small, and ivory of this size doesn’t hold a cutting edge like stone does. Despite this, the fragments clearly mimic functional tools : Their shapes resemble typical flake ...

Some bones show cut marks. The study of the ivory began ... low hardness and fragility,” Stepanchuk explained. “Small ivory tools are far less efficient than stone tools of similar size.

Six of these displayed evidence of knapping. Previously, the earliest known ivory tools were thought to have been made 120,000 years ago. The experts were somewhat perplexed by the finding of ...

Ivory doesn’t hold up as well against weathering as bone, making it a less suitable material for toolmaking, researchers said. It also breaks into smaller pieces, making it harder to use with any deal ...

Additionally, ivory is a relatively soft material, especially compared to stone—too soft, at this size, to be used for cutting ... techniques for creating tools out of other materials—like ...

The world’s oldest modified mammoth ivory pieces may have been used by children to mimic the tools of their parents ... when new techniques for drilling, cutting, and splitting this softer ...

"The miniature ivory pieces from Medzhibozh A are rare even in Upper Paleolithic contexts and perform poorly compared to stone tools of similar size due to their low hardness and fragility.