he tropical plains in which hominids had first flourished (Fagan 85). In winters, when prey was dispersed, for example, H. erectus must have developed strategies for searching for substitute foods. In warmer months they appear to have hunted near lakes and streams--"eating their kills quickly and stripping them of meat before other predators moved in" (Fagan 85). In all their adaptations mobility was the key. H. erectus were eclectic, flexible hunter-gatherers who, unlike their prey, could adapt relatively quickly to changes in environment or food supply and move accordingly. H. erectus probably lived in groups that varied in size from fairly large, at times when banding together improved the chance of getting scarce animal food, or quite small groups, when plant food was readily available. This "argues for considerable social flexibility and intelligence" (Fagan 96). But it probably also represents the upper limit of H. erectus' ability to integrate various aspects of human intelligence with each other.
Lower Paleolithic technology was used for perhaps a million years. But, while the rate of change in tools may seem very slow, the technology actually "displays considerable variability and development" (Fagan 88). The difficulty of spotting tools of this era, which often appear to be nothing more than naturally damaged rocks, is eased by the fact that since these artifacts "are cultural products" they fit certain patterns and "these patterns undergo change in time" (Clark and Piggott 44). If certain forms occur throughout strata of different ages they could be inferred to be natural products. But if these objects "undergo a consistent change in time" then it can be assumed that they are "the products of an evolving social tradition" (Clark and Piggott 44).
This is the case with the tools of the Lower Paleolithic. Wooden tools have been found from this period. For example, throwing and thrusting spears of wood, datin...