An international group of researchers has discovered the oldest known handheld wooden tools used by humans.
Research by Professor Katerina Harvati, in a new group led by Dr Annemieke Milks from the University of Reading, reveals archaeological finds from the Marathousa 1 site in Greece’s central Peloponnese that date back 430,000 years. The objects are the oldest hand-held wooden tools ever found, pushing the use of this tool type back by at least 40,000 years.
Other finds of stone tools and animal bones suggest that the site, once on the shore of an ancient lake, was used for butchering animals. The site was occupied by early humans some 430,000 years ago in the Middle Pleistocene — roughly 774,000 to 129,000 years ago.
“The Middle Pleistocene was a crucial phase in human evolution, when more sophisticated behaviours evolved. The earliest reliable evidence for the focused technological uses of plants dates to this period, too,” says Professor Katerina Harvati, a paleoanthropologist and expert in human evolution, who leads the long-term research program at Marathousa 1.
Stone and bone artefacts from the site revealed people’s proficiency and diverse ways of doing things, so the researchers took a closer look at the wood found.
“Unlike stones, wooden objects have certain special needs for their longevity,” explains Dr Annemieke Milks, a prominent early wooden tool expert. “We looked very closely through the whole remains of wood and tried some microscopy to see how their surfaces looked.”
The analysis team discovered two wood artefacts that had been worked by humans, including pieces of a small alder trunk that show clear evidence of shaping, along with wear and tear. The stick was probably used for digging at the edge of the lake or removing tree bark.
A second, incredibly small piece of wood, probably from a willow or poplar tree, appears to have been worked and shows the potential for an application. A third find — a larger chunk of an alder trunk, with a groove pattern, had been clawed by a large carnivore.
“We have discovered the oldest wooden tools known to date, as well as the first evidence of this kind from southeastern Europe,” said Professor Katerina Harvati. “This shows once again how exceptionally good the conditions at the Marathousa 1 site are for preservation.
Research on the Marathousa 1 SITE is funded by the European Research Council and the German Science Foundation.
Sources : University of Reading
