Micrographs showing wear traces on a tool (IMAGE) New York University Caption Micrographs showing wear traces on a tool used by Neanderthals during the Middle Palaeolithic period. Locations of the micrographs on the artifact are indicated in the drawing (upper left) in red. a) Polish, or sheen, on the active edge of the tool handle. b) Polish under colorant stains within the zone covered by adhesive. c) Ridge between concave surfaces formed by the removal of bits of stone that were removed—rather than worn away naturally. d) Dulled out or worn down ridge in the graspable zone that was covered with an adhesive. A comparison of (c) and (d) indicates that the worn out portion is within the area covered by designed adhesive grip. Images are shown in microns. Credit Drawing by D. Greinert, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Usage Restrictions Use with this study only License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.