A workshop before our species
At Kalambo Falls, on the border of Zambia and Tanzania, waterlogged sediments have preserved an unexpected record of early hominin tools. Among the finds are several wooden tools dated to between 390,000 and 324,000 years ago. These artifacts, which include a digging stick, a wedge, a cut log, and a notched branch, were crafted long before the appearance of Homo sapiens. The likely artisans were Homo heidelbergensis, an extinct human relative known from other sites in Zambia.
The preservation of the wood is exceptional. The permanently high water levels at the site created an oxygen-poor environment, preventing the organic material from decaying over the millennia. Analysis of the artifacts reveals clear cut marks made by stone tools, showing that these objects were intentionally shaped. These finds challenge the traditional view of the "Stone Age," suggesting that early hominins had a sophisticated understanding of wood as a raw material for tool production. The tools imply a settled, rather than nomadic, existence, as the creators had a consistent source of water and food from the surrounding forest.