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By excavating 1,699 stones, pebbles and flakes,
通過挖掘出1699塊石頭、鵝卵石和薄片刨花
and working out the age of 122 hammerstones from the radiocarbon dates of charcoal buried alongside them,
并根據埋在旁邊的木炭的放射性碳年代，計算出122顆石錘的年齡，
the team split the site's history into four phases.
該團隊將該地點的歷史分為四個階段。
Capuchins first swung a rock in the area somewhere between 3,000 and 2,400 years ago—
在3000年到2400年間，卷尾猴這片區域的某個地方第一次擺弄石頭—
the beginning of a period the researchers call Phase IV. This is the oldest known instance of non-ape tool use.
這是研究人員稱之為第四階段的開端。這是已知最早的非猿類使用工具的實例。
Phase IV hammerstones are light and have many impact marks.
第四階段的石錘很輕，且有很多擊象。
This suggests they were used mainly on seeds (possibly from cassava) smaller than the cashews which today's monkeys pound,
這表明它們主要被用于鑿種子（可能是木薯種子），這些種子比如今猴子們鑿的腰果要小，
meaning hammerstone and anvil often came into contact with one another.
這意味著石錘和鐵砧經常互相接觸。
Phase III, between 640 and 565 years ago, featured transitional behaviours that led to Phase II, from about 257 years ago,
第三階段是在640年和565年前，這個階段的過渡行為引導出了第二階段—約從257年前開始，
when hammerstones were heavier and are associated with many large anvils,
那時的石錘更重，且和很多大型的鐵砧有關聯，
suggesting a food source bigger and harder than cashews (the hard-shelled jatoba fruit is a possibility).
這意味著一個比腰果更大更堅硬的食物源（可能是外殼堅硬的賈托巴水果）。
More recently, in Phase I (from 27 years ago),
更近一點的第一階段（從27年前開始），
cashew residue on stones suggests the monkeys were moving towards their present-day alimentary focus.
殘留在石頭上的腰果表明猴子正向它們現在的食物點移動
What Dr Falotico and Dr Proffitt do not yet know is whether the variation they saw is a result of different groups of capuchins,
Falotico和Proffitt博士現在還是不知道這種變化是否是有著不同習慣的不同種群的卷尾猴
with different habits, occupying the site at different times—
在不同時期占領這片區域的結果—
or, alternatively, whether a single lineage of the animals has changed its nutritional culture over the years.
或者是否是單一譜系的動物隨時間的變化改變了它們的營養文化。
Until Dr Falotico's original dig, chimps were the only species other than human beings for which an archaeological record of tool use had been found.
在Falotico博士的初次挖掘之前，猩猩是除了人類外唯一一個有使用工具考古記錄的物種。
(In 2007 researchers discovered chimpanzee-modified stones that were 4,300 years old.)
（2007年，研究人員發現了4300年前被猩猩改良過的石頭。）
There is no reason, though, not to expect the finding of further, and perhaps older, sites in future.
不過我們沒有理由不期待未來會發現更遠、甚至更古老的遺址。
Moreover, studying how capuchins and chimps have used tools may give an inkling of how the process happened in people.
此外，研究卷尾猴和黑猩猩如何使用工具或許能讓我們對這一過程在人類身上是如何發生的有所了解。
One thing Dr Falotico and Dr Proffitt have noticed is that some of the sharp flakes that fly off
Falotico和Proffitt博士注意到了一件事—當鐵錘與鐵砧碰撞時所脫落的
when hammer meets anvil look identical to Stone Age blades made by human beings.
一些鋒利薄片看起來和石器時代人類制造的刀片一模一樣。
Capuchins have not yet—so far as is known—thought to use such flakes as knives.
就目前所知，卷尾猴還不會使用刀這樣的薄片。
But perhaps their own "2001" moment awaits them in the future.
但也許它們自己的“2001”時刻在未來等待著它們。
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