Shelby S. J. Putt

The first appearance of stone tools in the archaeological record is often seen as a marker of the emergence of human culture. However, the long-held assumption that Early Stone Age tools represent culturally transmitted artifacts is being challenged by evidence that adult humans can reinvent knapping techniques without social learning. This perspective overlooks the significant cognitive changes that have emerged in the past three million years, particularly the increase in working memory capacity. Our large working memory size is crucial for processing large cognitive loads and solving complex problems and thus makes adult humans a poor analog for early hominins with a reduced working memory size. This study will investigate whether young children (3-4 years old) with a developing working memory can solve extractive foraging problems using nut-cracking and stone-knapping behaviors without social guidance. The results will advance our understanding of early hominin cognitive capacities and cultural transmission, providing insights into when high-fidelity social learning emerged and how working memory influenced the development of early technologies, while addressing critical gaps in the literature on children’s toolmaking capabilities.