For decades, humans were depicted as relying heavily on stone. However, recent discoveries at Kalambo Falls in Zambia suggest this view may need adjustment.
Researchers have found wooden structures dating back approximately 476,000 years. These structures appear to be carefully shaped and joined, possibly forming a platform or the base of a shelter. The woodworking extends far beyond what was previously expected from early humans living so long ago.
A team led by Professor Larry Barham identified various artifacts, including a wedge, a digging stick, a log cut with tools, and a branch with a deliberate notch. These findings were preserved due to the waterlogged conditions at Kalambo Falls, where the makers lived before Homo sapiens arose and may have been Homo heidelbergensis or a related species.
This discovery adds a new dimension to our understanding of early human wood use and woodworking tools. It shows that some early hominins understood how to shape and join logs, changing what we know about their abilities and creativity.
The team used luminescence dating to confirm the age of the wooden structures. This new method has far-reaching implications, allowing researchers to date much further back in time and piece together sites that provide insight into human evolution.
By accurately placing these artifacts in time, the team can see how early humans selected materials, planned projects, and adapted to their environment long before modern humans appeared. The discovery challenges earlier views of a steady line of progress from simple to complex, suggesting that early hominins were not as inventive.
Instead, they shaped wood with purpose, turned it into something with structure, and recognized the properties of different pieces of wood to create stable surfaces or supports. This level of planning and action was happening far earlier than many had believed possible.
The Kalambo Falls discovery highlights actions that usually remain invisible, locked away in times too old to remember. It shows us that human technology and culture did not simply move along one narrow track. People found ways to solve problems long before anyone thought possible.
This single discovery adds details that help round out the story of early humans. They worked with what was around them, including wood, to create something purposeful and enduring. The Kalambo Falls find proves they deserve more credit than we once gave them.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-wooden-structure-completely-rewrites-early-human-history