Researchers have discovered the oldest hand-held wooden tool ever discovered, providing new insights into the skills and behaviors of early humans nearly 500,000 years ago.
An international team led by scientists from the University of Reading, the University of Tübingen and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research has identified ancient artifacts at the Marathusa 1 site in the central Peloponnese region of Greece. The discovery dates back to about 430,000 years ago.
Research published in journals PNASSo let’s talk about two carefully crafted wooden objects that humans shaped and used. One was made of alder wood, the other of willow or poplar. Researchers say the discovery brings evidence of the use of this type of wooden tool back at least 40,000 years.
Stone tools were also found at the site, along with the remains of elephants and other animals, suggesting the area was once used for slaughtering prey near the edge of an ancient lake. Early humans inhabited the site during the Middle Pleistocene, a period from approximately 774,000 to 129,000 years ago.
“The Middle Pleistocene was a key period in human evolution when more complex behaviors were developed. The earliest reliable evidence for the targeted technological use of plants also dates from this period,” says Professor Katerina Harbati, a paleoanthropologist and expert on human evolution who leads the long-term Marathusa 1 research program.
Ancient people processed wood with amazing techniques.
Previous discoveries at the site, including stone and bone artefacts, had already shown that the people living there were highly skilled and engaged in a wide range of activities. For this reason, the research team decided to take a closer look at preserved wood fragments recovered during excavations.
“Unlike stone, wooden objects require special conditions to survive for long periods of time,” says Dr. Annemieke Milks, a leading expert on early wooden tools. “We took a close look at all the wooden remains and looked at the surfaces under a microscope. We found traces of chopping and carving on the two objects, a clear sign that early humans shaped them.”
One of the wooden artifacts was a small section of an alder branch or trunk that showed obvious molding marks and signs of wear from use. Researchers believe it may have been used to dig into soft ground near the lake shore or to strip bark from trees.
The second artifact was a much smaller willow or poplar wood fragment, which also showed signs of human carving and possible use.
Predator claw marks reveal dangerous environment
Not all wood chips marked in the field were shaped by humans. The researchers also studied large pieces of alder that had grooves carved into their surfaces. After detailed analysis, they concluded that the tracks were left by a large carnivore, probably a bear, rather than a human.
“The earliest wooden tools have been found in countries such as England, Zambia, Germany and China, and include weapons, digging sticks and tool handles, but they are all newer than those found on Maratusa 1,” Annemieke Milks said. The only evidence of ancient wood used by humans was excavated from the Kalambo Falls site in Zambia, which is about 476,000 years old. However, the wood was used not as a tool but as a structural material.
“We have discovered the oldest known wooden tools and the first evidence of their kind from southeastern Europe,” Herberty said. “This shows once again how exceptionally good the preservation conditions are at the Marathusa 1 site. And the fact that a large carnivore left its footprints in the vicinity of the slaughtered elephant, in parallel with human activity, indicates intense competition between the two.”
The international research team also included scientists from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Ioannina, the Greek Ministry of Culture, and the American School of Classics in Athens.
Research at the Maratusa 1 site was funded by the European Research Council and the German Science Foundation.
