Early Humans Built Wooden Structures Far Earlier Than Thought

A recent study at Kalambo Falls, an ancient waterfall in Zambia, has changed the way we think about early humans. 

For years, scientists believed that our ancestors were primarily nomadic and used simple tools. But this new discovery shows something different.

Researchers found evidence that early humans used wood to build structures, a sign that they may have settled in one place longer than we thought. This study challenges previous ideas about human evolution and shows that wood was used for building much earlier than we thought.

Evidence of Early Structural Wood Use at Kalambo Falls, Zambia

A research team from the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University examined well-preserved wood at the Kalambo Falls archaeological site in Zambia.  

The study presents the oldest evidence of structural wood use found at Kalambo Falls Waterlogged deposits dated to at least 476,000 years ago—long before modern humans (Homo sapiens) emerged. They discovered preserved two interlocking logs joined by a deliberately cut notch, which is a design unseen in other early sites in Africa or Eurasia. 

The earliest known wood artifact is a polished plank from Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, Israel, dated over 780,000 years ago. (ref) Simple wooden tools, like hunting spears, appeared about 400,000 years ago in Germany. (ref)

The researchers believe the notch was deliberately made by scraping and adzing (the process of shaping wood with an adze, a tool similar to an axe but with a blade that cuts perpendicular to the handle).

Infrared analysis gives some, though uncertain, signs that fire may have been used in shaping the notch, showing that early humans shaped and connected these two large logs as part of a platform or a dwelling foundation. 

Previously, wood use from this period was limited to tools like digging sticks, spears, and fire-making materials. However, the high water levels at Kalambo Falls helped preserve these ancient wooden remains, which would typically rot away at most sites.

The researchers also found four wood tools from 390,000 to 324,000 years ago, including a wedge, digging stick, cut log, and notched branch. 

In addition, the research team explained that Kalambo Falls offered early humans a constant water source and plenty of nearby forest resources. These resources allowed them to settle in the area and build structures.

New Dating Techniques Illuminate Stone Age Technology

This study is part of the groundbreaking “Deep Roots of Humanity” project, which explores the evolution of human technology in the Stone Age. Aberystwyth University scientists dated the finds using advanced luminescence techniques, which determine when minerals in surrounding sand were last exposed to sunlight.

Professor Geoff Duller from Aberystwyth University explained, “Dating finds of this age is challenging, and luminescence dating allowed us to achieve this. Kalambo Falls was excavated in the 1960s, but without the means to date the wood, its significance remained unclear until now.”

“Our research proves that this site is much older than previously thought, so its archaeological significance is now even greater. It adds more weight to the argument that it should be a United Nations World Heritage Site.” (ref)

Kalambo Falls, located on the Kalambo River above a 771-foot waterfall on the Zambia-Tanzania border near Lake Tanganyika, is on UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage status due to its rich archaeological value.

Insights from a Zambian Woodworker’s Craft

According to the study, a 2022 ethnographic research was conducted in Zambia with traditional woodworker John Mukopa in Mungwi, Northern Province. 

The study, led by Moto Moto Museum and University of Liverpool staff and supported by the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme, received ethics approval from the University of Zambia, the University of Liverpool, and the British Museum/EMKP.

Observations focused on the types of trees chosen, tools used for cutting and shaping, and the marks left on the wood. 

These findings suggest an earlier-than-expected diversity in wood use that expands our view of early human technical skills and woodworking practices.

Source:

1. Nature