Why were tool-making and language important for the development of human culture?

Tool-making and language were important for the development of human culture because they allowed our ancestors to take full advantage of their surroundings. Homo habilis were the first early humans to create tools, although theirs were simpler than ones created later by other species. The earliest flint stones weren't very complicated, but they were hard to make. Firstly, early humans had to find the right kind of stone. It had to be hard enough so it wouldn't shatter, but not so hard that it wouldn't chip. Then they had to shape the stone into the tool by striking it with another stone. Our more sophisticated ancestor was Homo erectus. Homo erectus made hand axes for killing animals, digging roots, and cutting wood. In other words, Homo erectus made one tool for a variety of purposes whereas Homo sapiens had tools made for specific purposes. Over thousands of years, tools became more sophisticated, including fishhooks, needles, three-pronged fishing spears, and bone tools. With tools, early humans were able to kill animals for meat, dig for roots, cut wood, and create clothes. Tools allowed early humans to build shelters for themselves, an essential factor in surviving. Without tools early humans would have never been able to tame wildfires and create warmth, light, and good food for them. This is because in order to tame fire, it was necessary to create hearths. For this, tools were needed.

With language, early humans were able to not only begin with oral tradition but also share information, work together, discuss the present, past, and future, create leaders, discuss real and imaginary things, invent new words, and many more good things. No one knows when the ability to use language was developed. However, by examining the remainders of brains scientists were able to distinguish a difference in size and complexity of the brain over the years. Scientists connect this with the ability to develop language. Even if the brain were developed enough, the voice box also had to be able to produce all sounds needed to speak. Humans were the only ones with voice boxes that dropped so low that they were able to breathe with their mouths as well as with their noses.

Language and tools were very important developments of humans' cultures. Without them we would be just like the animals around us. We might even have died out without these very important adaptations, which is why it's a good thing that we learned how to use language and how to use tools.