The 'Osteodontokeratic culture' (ODK) was a controversial hypothesis proposed by Raymond Dart, the discoverer of Australopithecus africanus, in the mid-20th century. Dart, based on his observations of bone, tooth, and horn fragments found alongside australopithecine fossils at Makapansgat, South Africa, suggested that these early hominins used these animal remains as tools and weapons. The term 'Osteodontokeratic' literally means 'bone-tooth-horn'.

Dart argued that Australopithecus africanus was a predatory and carnivorous hominin that actively hunted and killed animals, using their skeletal parts as an extension of their own bodies for various tasks, including hunting, digging, and processing food. He interpreted specific patterns of breakage and wear on the bones as evidence of intentional modification and use by these hominins, suggesting a rudimentary form of culture and technology predating stone tool use.

However, Dart's hypothesis faced significant criticism and was largely disproven by later research, most notably by C.K. Brain. Brain's taphonomic studies demonstrated that the accumulation and breakage patterns of bones at Makapansgat were primarily due to natural processes, such as predation by large carnivores (like leopards and hyenas) and subsequent scavenging, rather than intentional tool use by australopithecines. He showed that similar bone accumulations could be found in non-hominin contexts and that the 'tools' identified by Dart were simply naturally fractured animal remains. While Australopithecus africanus was indeed an early hominin, the evidence for them being the 'makers' of an Osteodontokeratic culture, in the sense of intentionally manufacturing and using bone tools, is not supported by modern archaeological and taphonomic understanding. The debate, however, was crucial in advancing taphonomic studies and refining our understanding of early hominin behavior and the interpretation of archaeological sites.