WASHINGTON — A significant archaeological discovery in Tanzania has revealed that early humans were crafting cutting tools from animal bones approximately 1.5 million years ago. This unearths a far earlier date for such practices than previously believed, advancing the timeline by about a million years. The collection, consisting of 27 carved bones primarily from elephants and hippos, was found at Olduvai Gorge. Scientists had prior knowledge that simple stone tools date back to around 3.3 million years ago.
Published findings in Nature highlight that ancient humans had more intricate toolkits than previously understood, employing diverse materials. According to William Harcourt-Smith, a paleoanthropologist with the American Museum of Natural History, these findings suggest a complexity in early human tool-making activities that had not been recognized before.
The remarkably preserved tools, reaching lengths of up to 16 inches (40 centimeters), were crafted by breaking the ends of leg bones and using stones to flake the shafts. Ignacio de la Torre of the Spanish National Research Council explained that this process yielded tools with one sharpened edge and a pointed tip. He noted that these implements were likely used as hand axes, essential for cutting through the carcasses of large animals like elephants and hippos but not for hunting.
There is ample evidence of meticulous craftsmanship, as some artifacts exhibit multiple instances of flake removal occurring more than a dozen times. Mírian Pacheco, a paleobiologist from Brazil, remarked on the intention behind the selection of heavy leg bones from specific animals. The intact condition of these bones, which show little sign of natural wear like erosion or animal gnawing, supports the theory of deliberate human manipulation.
These prehistoric tools predate the emergence of Homo sapiens by over a million years, positioned in a time when three distinct human ancestor species coexisted in East Africa. As noted by Briana Pobiner from the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program, the tools might have been used by any of several ancient species, including Homo erectus, Homo habilis, or Paranthropus boisei.
