Recent excavations at an archaeological site in southern Greece have unearthed the oldest known wooden tools, as detailed in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These remarkable findings shed light on the technological capabilities of early humans.
The artifacts were discovered at Marathousa 1, an area that was once a lakeside location during the Middle Pleistocene era. The site has yielded other significant items, such as stone tools and animal remains, all estimated to be around 430,000 years old, providing a timeline for these new discoveries.
Among the tools found are a 2.5-foot-long stick likely used for digging and a handheld piece of poplar or maple, which may have served to shape stone implements. Katerina Harvati, a paleoanthropologist from the University of Tübingen, highlighted the importance of these tools in understanding early human technology.
It is believed that Middle Pleistocene hominins utilized tools made from various materials. However, wood tends to decompose unless preserved in specific conditions, making such findings rare. Researchers speculate that the recent discoveries were buried in mud, which helped preserve them over millennia.
In addition to the tools, numerous wooden fragments were examined using microscopy and CT scans. Lead author Annemieke Milks from the University of Reading noted that clear signs of chopping and carving were evident on both objects, confirming human craftsmanship.
One intriguing piece of wood displayed marks from a large carnivore, suggesting that early humans may have had to compete with predators, possibly bears, for access to food sources in their environment.
