Different powders were good for different uses. “Fine, clayish sorted ochre powder is more suitable for cosmetic or symbolic activities such as body painting, whereas mixed grain size ochre would be more adapted to utilitarian activities such as hafting,” write Rosso and colleagues. This was a workshop devoted to producing ochres that could be used in adhesives and in paints or dyes. Humanity’s earliest experiments with symbolism can be traced back to the twin births of art and engineering. 10Ks of years ago, our tool-obsessed brains allowed us to convert iron-rich rocks into beautiful adornments—and better hammers, too.

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