The correct answer is: a) Smaller size and flake tools.
Middle Paleolithic tools are characterized by their smaller size and flake tools. They are also known as Mousterian tools, after the type site of Le Moustier in France. Middle Paleolithic tools were made by Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis.
Large handaxes are characteristic of the Acheulean period, which preceded the Middle Paleolithic. Bone and antler tools were not common until the Upper Paleolithic. Rock art is not a type of tool, but rather a form of art that was produced by early humans.
Here is a more detailed explanation of each option:
- Option a: Smaller size and flake tools. Middle Paleolithic tools are typically smaller than Acheulean tools. They are also made from a variety of materials, including flint, chert, and quartz. Flake tools are made by striking a core with a hammerstone to produce flakes of stone. These flakes can then be used as tools or modified further to create other tools.
- Option b: Large handaxes. Large handaxes are characteristic of the Acheulean period, which preceded the Middle Paleolithic. Acheulean handaxes are typically made from flint and are very large, often measuring up to 30 centimeters in length. They are bifacially flaked, meaning that they are flaked on both faces.
- Option c: Bone and antler tools. Bone and antler tools were not common until the Upper Paleolithic. These tools were made from the bones and antlers of animals, and they were used for a variety of purposes, including hunting, butchering, and woodworking.
- Option d: Rock art. Rock art is not a type of tool, but rather a form of art that was produced by early humans. Rock art can be found in many parts of the world, and it dates back to the Upper Paleolithic. Rock art typically consists of paintings, engravings, and petroglyphs.