The Eolith Atlas – A Visual Database of Classic “Dawn Stone” Finds

Screenshot detail from the Eolith Atlas – classic plates, modern search tools.

For a long time the word “eolith” has been used as a punchline. In most modern summaries the story runs: “early antiquarians mistook natural flints for tools, the problem was solved, we moved on”. In reality the historical record is more complicated – with careful plates, stratigraphic sections, maps, and a large number of objects that look at least as “tool-like” as much of the accepted early Palaeolithic material.

To make this material easier to see and discuss, I’ve been building a small side project: the Eolith Atlas – a searchable visual database of classic eolith and early stone tool claims from the older literature, with direct links back to the original books and papers.

Visit the Atlas: https://eoliths.org/atlas/atlas.html

What the Eolith Atlas Actually Is

The Atlas is a simple, static web page that brings together a growing number of plates and figures from classic works – Brandt, Rutot, Osborn, Wright and others – that illustrate:

Classic “eolith” series from Tertiary deposits (Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene).
Early or “out of place” stone tools from the early Pleistocene.
Key stratigraphic sections and site diagrams that frame the finds.

Each entry in the database has:

A thumbnail image of the object or plate.
The site name, region, and continent.
The geological epoch (Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pleistocene) and an approximate age range.
A short 1–3 sentence description of what the figure shows and why it was documented.
Tags for quick filtering (e.g. Boncelles, Aurillac, Belle-Assise, Kent plateau, eoliths, nose scraper).
A link back to the original PDF (book or article) so you can read the source in context.

You can search by site, author, tool type, or keyword, and filter by continent and epoch. Clicking a thumbnail opens a larger version of the image so you can inspect flake scars, edges and sections without hunting through hundreds of pages of scans. I will also be updating the database with more ancient lost books from those original antiquarians, and will also add figurative search criteria, for flint tool finds in the eolith database with suspected creature likenesses.

Why This Is Useful – Even If You Think Eoliths Are Geofacts

You do not have to agree that any given specimen is a worked tool to find the Atlas useful. In some ways, sceptical archaeologists and lithics specialists have the most to gain from a clear visual index of the old plates.

If you believe eoliths are natural:

You can quickly find the classic examples and then point at them pretending they don't look like tools for whatever reason.
You can point to specific plates and sections in discussion, instead of relying on vague summaries, and try to invent natural excuses for the tool like shapes and worked features.
You can test your own criteria: are the differences between “eolith” ovates and accepted ovate handaxes as clear as we sometimes assume?
You could meticulously search the database for something that does not look much like a tool, and has no obvious tool like design features, and declare that all eoliths are a product of nature.

If you think at least some of these objects might be worked:

You can see how different sites and authors repeat similar forms and edge-patterns.
You can group finds by epoch or site and look for assemblage-level patterns (not just one odd flake).
You can point out numerous edge working, blade retouch examples, on flint tools that are no different to any others, apart from there too old, and deceivers don't want you to see them.
You have a starting dataset for asking harder questions about patina continuity, context and cognition.
Congratulations you're not a complete f#%&ing moron.

In both cases, the aim is the same: less hand-waving, more looking.

How to Use the Atlas

Go to https://eoliths.org/atlas/atlas.html.
Start with the search box – try a site name such as “Aurillac”, “Boncelles” or “Kent”.
Use the epoch filter to focus on Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene or early Pleistocene material.
Click a card to enlarge the image and read the short description and source details.
Follow the “View source PDF” link if you want to examine the original plates, sections and text in full.

The interface is intentionally simple. It runs as a single HTML page with a JSON data file behind it, so it should be easy to maintain, extend and copy for other projects if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Atlas claiming that all eoliths are real tools?

No. The Atlas is first and foremost a documentation project. It gathers historical finds, basic context and images in one place. I have my own views – including a published piece on patina continuity and cognition in flint – but the Atlas itself is neutral in the sense that it does not mark entries “tool” or “geofact”.

Are any of the entries accepted tools?

Yes. The database includes forms that are widely regarded as tools – for example some early Palaeolithic material and well-established industries – as well as controversial Tertiary finds. This helps highlight the similarities and differences people often talk about in the abstract.

Can the Atlas be wrong?

Of course. Early versions may mis-label epochs, get age ranges slightly off, or miss important secondary literature. The advantage of keeping everything in a single JSON file is that entries can be corrected and updated as better information comes in. This is very much a work in progress.

Can the dataset grow?

Yes. The structure is designed to be expandable. New books, plates, sites and sections can be added as further sources are mined. Over time the Atlas can grow into a more comprehensive reference for anyone interested in the history of eolith research and very early stone tool claims.

Can I use the Atlas in teaching or research?

That’s exactly the idea. If you want to use screenshots or specific entries in a lecture, seminar or article, please do – ideally with a link back to the Atlas and the original source. The more people actually look at the primary material, the better the debate can be.

Why I Built This

There is a lot of emotion around eoliths. Some people dismiss them with a single sentence; others treat them as proof of extreme antiquity for humans (or near-humans). In between sits a neglected middle ground: the actual stones, drawings, stratigraphy and maps produced by serious observers more than a century ago.

The Eolith Atlas is my contribution to that middle ground. It is not the final word on anything – but it does make it harder for anyone on either side to claim “there’s nothing to see”.

Explore the project: Eolith & Tertiary Tools Atlas