Ancient Hominids Crafted Bone Tools 1.5 Million Years Ago in Tanzania
Archaeologists have discovered the oldest known bone tools, crafted by ancient human ancestors 1.5 million years ago in Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge. Made from hippo and elephant bones, these tools indicate a systematic approach to bone tool production, representing a significant advancement in hominid technology. This finding challenges prior beliefs about the timeline of bone toolmaking.
Recent discoveries in Tanzania reveal that ancient human relatives created the oldest known bone tools approximately 1.5 million years ago. Excavated at Olduvai Gorge, these tools were made from animal bones, specifically from hippos and elephants. According to archaeologist Ignacio de la Torre and his team, this finding marks the earliest evidence of systematic bone tool production by hominids.
In excavations conducted between 2015 and 2022, researchers uncovered 27 bone tools within dated sediment layers. These tools may have been crafted by either Homo erectus, a potential direct ancestor of modern humans, or Paranthropus boisei, a side-branch species. While stone tools have been traced back to 3.3 million years ago, the production of bone tools was previously believed to originate no earlier than 500,000 years ago.
The Olduvai bone tool kit is considered significantly older, containing implements primarily from leg bones of elephants and hippos. These artifacts show evidence of having been sharpened, with the largest tools measuring up to 38 centimeters in length. Notably, some of the bone tools feature carved notches, possibly to provide a grip, while others resemble typical stone hand axes from the Acheulean tool tradition.
De la Torre suggests that these findings indicate a technological evolution from stone to bone tools among early hominids. Additionally, the presence of butchery marks on several hippo bones indicates that these early humans utilized both the meat and bones of the animals they hunted for tool-making purposes. However, the limited presence of elephant remains suggests that the bones used for tooling were sourced from other locations.
The recent revelations from Olduvai Gorge underscore a significant chapter in early human technological development, with the production of bone tools dating back 1.5 million years. This discovery challenges previous understandings of bone tool usage, suggesting a more complex behavior among early hominids. Overall, the evidence points to a sophisticated interplay of hunting, butchery, and tool-making practices in our ancient ancestors’ lives.
Original Source: www.sciencenews.org
