Oldest bone tools suggest early humans were smarter than we thought

For centuries, archaeologists have pieced together the story of early humans – one artifact at a time. Stone tools, with their sharp edges and deliberate craftsmanship, have offered the clearest window into the minds of our ancient ancestors. But now, the discovery of bone tools has challenged this long-held narrative.

A new study from UCL and the CSIC-Spanish National Research Council reveals something astonishing: early humans were capable of advanced reasoning a million years earlier than previously believed. And the proof? Bone tools – some of the oldest ever found.

Oldest bone tools

The study describes 27 fossilized bones that were shaped into tools approximately 1.5 million years ago. This collection marks the earliest known instance of systematically produced bone tools, pushing back the timeline of advanced tool use.

Early human ancestors, called hominins, had been making stone tools for at least a million years. But until now, scientists believed that the regular use of bone tools only started around 500,000 years ago.

The recent discovery challenges this understanding, showing that these ancient ancestors were skilled in working with multiple materials.

Bone tools prove advanced thinking

The newly found bone tools were shaped using a technique similar to stone knapping. Hominins chipped away small flakes to create sharp edges, demonstrating an ability to adapt and transfer skills between different materials.

This suggests that early humans possessed a greater cognitive capacity than previously assumed.

“The tools show evidence that their creators carefully worked the bones, chipping off flakes to create useful shapes. We were excited to find these bone tools from such an early timeframe,” noted Dr. Renata F. Peters from UCL Archaeology.

”It means that human ancestors were capable of transferring skills from stone to bone, a level of complex cognition that we haven’t seen elsewhere for another million years.”

Early humans used more than just stone

“This discovery leads us to assume that early humans significantly expanded their technological options, which until then were limited to the production of stone tools and now allowed new raw materials to be incorporated into the repertoire of potential artifacts,” noted lead researcher Dr. Ignacio de la Torre (CSIC-Spanish National Research Council).

The shift to making tools shows that early humans were smart enough to use their stone-making skills on other materials. This was a big step forward in how they created and used tools.

Discovery at Olduvai Gorge

The tools were found in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, a famous place where many important discoveries about early humans have been made. The experts uncovered 27 bone tools, mostly from big animals like elephants and hippos.

These tools were made from the strongest parts of the animals – the thick bones in their legs – showing that early humans carefully chose the best material.

The bone tools come from a time when early human ancestors were improving how they made tools.

Before this, during the Oldowan age (which lasted from about 2.7 million to 1.5 million years ago), they mainly used simple stone tools by chipping off small pieces to create sharp edges.

A shift in toolmaking

The Acheulean age began about 1.7 million years ago. At this time, early humans started making more advanced stone tools.

The discovery of shaped bone tools suggests early humans used their skills on more than just stone.

Before this discovery, bone tools were rare and found only in isolated cases. There was no proof that early humans were making them regularly. But these new findings show that hominins may have been using bone tools much earlier and more widely than scientists previously thought.

Mystery of bone tools

The exact purpose of these bone tools remains uncertain. Their shape, size, and sharp edges suggest they may have been used to process animal carcasses for food. However, no direct evidence confirms their specific function.

It is also unclear which hominin species crafted these tools. No fossilized remains were found alongside the collection. At the time, Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei were known to inhabit the region, making them the likely candidates.

Since finding these bone tools was so surprising, scientists hope their discovery will encourage archaeologists to look back at old excavation sites. There’s a chance that other similar tools were found before but not recognized as important.

This research was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) to help scientists learn more about how early humans developed their thinking and technology.

The study is published in the journal Nature.

Image Credits: CSIC

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