A stone tool unearthed at excavation site. (Photo Credit: MPK-WTAP)
Stone tools dated to 3.3 million years ago, discovered in Kenya, indicate that early humans were making tools much earlier than previously thought. The stone-tool culture associated with the genus Homo has commonly been dated back to around 2.6 million years ago, 700,000 years after this recent discovery.
Researchers found markings on stone-made anvils, hammers and cobbles which suggest that these tools were used to pound items. They observe that the arm and hand motions required to handle these tools are similar to techniques chimpanzees and other primate use. However, researchers say it remains to be determined what specific hominin species made them.
Scanning of the stone-tools performed by researchers was completed using a portable structured light scanner developed in Vancouver, BC, by LMI Technologies.
Original research paper published in Nature on May 20, 2015.
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