Caption:
Oldowan (formerly Abbevillian) hand-axe showing sinuous edge. Lower Paleolithic period. The Oldowan, sometimes spelled Olduwan, is the archaeological term used to refer to the earliest stone tool industry in prehistory. Oldowan tools were used during the Lower Paleolithic period, 2.6 million years ago up until 1.7 million years ago, by ancient hominins.