Humans were using wood to build structures 500,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought, according to new research. The study reports on the excavation of well-preserved wood at the Kalambo Falls site in Zambia that dates back at least 476,000 years and predates the evolution of living organisms. homo sapiens.
The researchers said stone tool cuts left in the wood indicate that early humans shaped and joined two logs to create a structure that probably served as the basis for a platform. This is the earliest evidence of deliberate combination and processing of logs, as evidence of human use of wood was limited to its use in making fires, sticks, and spears.
Wood usually rots and disappears, so it is rarely found in ancient ruins. However, due to the permanently high water level at Kalambo Falls, this rare specimen was preserved. The discovery also casts doubt on the idea that Stone Age humans were nomads. In Kalambo, these hominins would have had a permanent source of water and enough food to settle and build permanent structures.
“This discovery has changed the way we think about our early ancestors. Forget about the ‘Stone Age’ label and look at what these people were doing. They made something new and big out of wood. They used their intelligence, imagination, and skill to create something never seen before,” said one of the study authors, Larry Barham, in a news release.
ancient mysterious tree
The wood found in Zambia was too old to be dated directly using radiocarbon technology. Instead, researchers at the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University used a technique called . Luminescence datingthe time the minerals in the sand near the find were last exposed to sunlight is used to determine its age.
This method allows researchers to go further into the past and “give us a glimpse into human evolution,” Jeff Dollar, one of the study’s authors, said in a news release. Using luminescence dating, Dollar found that this structure was 476,000 years old. They also dated four wooden tools (such as wedges) found in the area to 324,000 years ago.
![](https://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/5-the-wooden-structure-1.png)
Researchers don’t know which ancient human species created the structures and tools, but it’s unlikely. homo sapiens.oldest fossil homo sapiens The one discovered so far is about 300,000 years old and was discovered in Dar, Israel. told CNN. He believes that the people who built this structure were cognitively sophisticated and it would be very interesting to figure out who built it.
Kalambo waterfall is Kalambo river, Atop a 235 meter waterfall on the shores of Lake Tanganyik, on the border between Zambia and Tanzania’s Rukwa region.This area is a candidate site UNESCO World Heritage Site Because of its archaeological importance. It was first excavated in 1960 by Professor John Clark.
“Our research proves that this site is much older than previously thought, further increasing its archaeological importance. It should be a United Nations World Heritage Site. “This gives further weight to the argument,” Dollar said in a news statement, adding that he hopes to continue making discoveries in the region over the next few years.
This study Journal “Nature”.