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Evidence Indicates That Primitive Humans Made Bone Tools 1.5 Million Years Ago, Challenging Theories About The Development Of Intelligence And Technical Skills
Archaeologists found 27 fossilized bone tools in the Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. The discovery could change what was known about human evolution.
For over a million years, early humans created tools from stones. But the use of bones as raw material was considered rare and recent. Now, this idea needs to be reviewed.
The bone tools found are the oldest ever seen. They were made in large quantities, indicating that this technique was more common than previously imagined. This discovery pushes back by a million years the known data for the frequent use of bone tools.
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Researchers believe that this innovation indicates that early humans already had more advanced thinking than previously thought.
Discovery Made By International Scientists
The research was conducted by scientists from University College London (UCL) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
According to Dr. Ignacio de la Torre, the study leader, the discovery shows that early humans were expanding their technological options. Previously, they only used stone, but they revisited bones as a useful alternative.
Tools Made With Bones Of Large Animals
Analyses show that the tools were made from bones of elephants and hippopotamuses that lived 1.5 million years ago.
The most impressive aspect is the method used to create these tools. Early humans knapped the bones in the same way they did with stones, creating sharp edges for cutting.
This demonstrates significant technical knowledge and adaptability. The ability to apply an existing technique to a new material suggests that these ancestors had a more developed intelligence than previously imagined.
Dr. Renata F. Peters, co-author of the study, stated that this discovery reveals an advanced level of cognition. For her, early humans had the capacity to transfer knowledge from one material to another, something not seen before this time.
What They Were Used For
Scientists believe that these bone tools were used for processing animal meat. They had sharp edges and were durable, which helped in the survival of early humans. However, there is still an open question: who made these tools?
So far, no hominid fossils have been found at the discovery site. But two species lived in that region during this period: Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei. Scientists still do not know which of them was responsible for creating these tools.
A Milestone In The Evolution Of Tools
Scientists explained that this discovery helps to better understand the evolution of tool use by early humans.
The Oldowan era (from 2.7 million to 1.5 million years ago) was an early phase of tool creation. The first tools were quite simple, made only by striking stones against each other to form cutting edges.
In the Acheulean era (around 1.7 million years ago), more sophisticated tools emerged, such as hand axes, made with more precise cuts.
The new bone tools found in Olduvai indicate that the more advanced techniques of the Acheulean era were used much earlier than previously thought. This means that the evolution of tools was faster than scientists imagined.
Before this discovery, the bone tools found were rare. There was no evidence that early humans systematically produced bone tools. Now, this idea needs to be reevaluated.
The discovery in Olduvai helps to fill a gap in human history. It shows that our ancestors were more innovative than we thought, exploring different materials to create tools and improve their chances of survival.
With information from Interesting Engineering.
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