- Researchers found two intertwined logs held together by an intentionally cut notch
- They were discovered alongside ancient wooden tools at the Kalambo Falls in Zambia.
Archaeologists have discovered what may be the oldest example of carpentry, dating back almost half a million years.
It suggests that ancient humans built wooden structures from tree trunks earlier than previously thought possible.
Researchers found two intertwined logs joined together by an intentionally cut notch, along with a collection of wooden tools, at Kalambo Falls in Zambia.
The upper trunk had been shaped and tool marks were found on both trunks.
Experts believe that early carpenters used the logs to create a raised platform or walkway to stay dry in the periodically wet floodplain.
Important: Archaeologists have discovered what may be the oldest example of carpentry, dating back almost half a million years. Researchers found two intertwined logs joined together by an intentionally cut notch, along with a collection of wooden tools, at Kalambo Falls in Zambia.
Scientific analysis: The upper trunk had been shaped and tool marks were found on both trunks.
It is also possible that wood was used to create the first foundations of primitive homes.
The wooden structure, which dates back to about 476,000 years ago, may represent the oldest use of wood in construction, according to a research paper published in the journal Nature.
Wooden artifacts rarely survive from the Early Stone Age, as they require exceptional conditions to not rot, but were preserved thanks to high water levels.
Professor Larry Barham, who led the research work at the University of Liverpool, said: “This finding has changed the way I think about our early ancestors.
‘Forget the “Stone Age” label and look at what these people were doing: they made something big and new out of wood.
‘They used their intelligence, imagination and skills to create something they had never seen before, something that had never existed before.
‘They transformed their environment to make life easier, even if it was just by making a platform to sit by the river and carry out their daily tasks.
“These people were more like us than we thought.”
Where they were discovered: The wooden structure, dating back to about 476,000 years ago and found at Zambia’s Kalambo Falls (pictured), may represent the oldest use of wood in construction.
What it means: Professor Larry Barham, who led the research work at the University of Liverpool, said: “This finding has changed the way I think about our early ancestors.”
Tool: Along with the two trunks, a flint used to shape the wooden structure was also discovered.
Clever: The age of the finds was determined by experts at Aberystwyth University, using new luminescence dating techniques. These reveal the last time the minerals in the sand surrounding the finds were exposed to sunlight.
Previously, much of the evidence for human use of wood was limited to making spears and sticks for digging or as fuel for fires.
The suggestion that it was used to build platforms or housing foundations challenges the prevailing view that Stone Age humans were nomadic.
The age of the finds was determined by experts at Aberystwyth University, using new luminescence dating techniques, which reveal the last time minerals in the sand surrounding the finds were exposed to sunlight.
Professor Geoff Duller, of Aberystwyth University, said: “These new dating methods have far-reaching implications: they allow us to date much further back in time and reconstruct sites that give us insight into human evolution.”
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE STONE AGE?
The Stone Age is a period of human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools and covering more than 95 percent of human technological prehistory.
It begins with the earliest known use of stone tools by hominids, ancient ancestors of humans, during the Old Stone Age, about 3.3 million years ago.
Between about 400,000 and 200,000 years ago, the pace of innovation in stone technology began to accelerate very slightly, a period known as the Middle Stone Age.
At the beginning of this era, hand axes were made with exquisite craftsmanship. Over time, this gave way to smaller, more diverse tool sets, with an emphasis on flake tools rather than larger core tools.
The Stone Age is a period of human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools and covering more than 95 percent of human technological prehistory. This image shows Neolithic jadeite axes from the Toulouse Museum.
These tool sets were established at least 285,000 years ago in some parts of Africa, and between 250,000 and 200,000 years ago in Europe and parts of Western Asia. These tool sets last until at least 50,000 to 28,000 years ago.
During the Later Stone Age, the pace of innovations increased and the level of craftsmanship increased.
Groups of Homo sapiens experimented with various raw materials, such as bone, ivory, and antler, as well as stone.
The period, between 50,000 and 39,000 years ago, is also associated with the arrival of modern human behavior in Africa.
Different groups sought their own distinctive cultural identity and adopted their own ways of doing things.
Later Stone Age peoples and their technologies spread out of Africa over the next few thousand years.
