Archaeologists working in Tanzania have uncovered a remarkable set of ancient tools made from animal bones, dating back approximately 1.5 million years.
This discovery, made in the T69 Complex near Olduvai Gorge, challenges previous assumptions about the timeline of bone tool use and provides new insights into the cognitive abilities of early humans.
The tools, crafted primarily from elephant and hippopotamus bones, are significantly older than the earliest known bone tools, which were previously believed to date back only 250,000 to 500,000 years. The findings include 27 bone tools that show clear evidence of knapping—the process of chipping away at material to create sharp edges—similar to techniques used in stone tool production. The bones range in size, with some reaching lengths of up to 15 inches, and were found embedded in a 20-inch-thick layer of sandstone, indicating that they were made and used during a specific period.
The discovery pushes back the known use of bone tools by at least one million years and offers compelling evidence that early hominins, such as Homo erectus, were capable of complex, abstract thought. These early humans were not only able to craft stone tools but also adapted their skills to work with bone, an entirely new material for toolmaking.
Dr. Ignacio de la Torre, lead author of the study and archaeologist at the Spanish National Research Council, noted that the systematic production of bone tools suggests advanced planning and problem-solving. Some of the bone tools were crafted from elephant bones, even though no full elephant carcasses were found at the site, indicating that early humans likely transported the bones to the site for crafting purposes.
The tools’ similarities to stone tools suggest that the hominins understood how to use available resources effectively, transferring their stone toolmaking knowledge to bone. This marks a significant advancement in the evolution of human cognitive and technical skills. The ability to manipulate organic materials like bone may have opened up new possibilities for early human societies, providing them with more versatile tools for tasks such as processing animal carcasses or creating new tools.
While there is no direct evidence linking the tools to a specific hominin species, researchers believe Homo erectus was likely responsible for their production, based on previous findings from the region. The presence of cut marks on animal bones also supports the idea that these early humans used their tools for butchering large animals.
This discovery is part of ongoing excavations at Olduvai Gorge, one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world, known for its contributions to the study of human evolution. The tools found in the T69 Complex represent the earliest known example of bone toolmaking in Africa, highlighting the importance of this site in understanding the development of early human technologies.
The findings also underscore the potential for further discoveries of bone tools in other ancient sites. As archaeologist Dr. Renata Peters pointed out, the fact that these tools were found in large quantities at a single site suggests that bone tool production was more common than previously believed. This raises the possibility that many other examples of bone toolmaking are still waiting to be uncovered, providing a more complete picture of early human technological advancements.
The New York Times and CNN contributed to this report.
