Research team discovers 476,000-year-old wooden structure at Kalambo Falls

11 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Apr 29

The University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University team uncovered preserved wood artifacts, including a wedge and digging stick, at Kalambo Falls, Zambia, dating to before Homo sapiens evolved.
Luminescence dating confirmed the age, revealing early hominins shaped and joined logs, demonstrating advanced woodworking skills far earlier than previously believed.
This discovery challenges the view of a solely 'Stone Age,' showing early humans exploited wood for complex structures, suggesting greater intelligence and creativity in human ancestors than once assumed.

Woodworking before modern humans existed? How intelligent were our early ancestors really?

Our ancestors built with wood 500,000 years ago. Was the 'Stone Age' a complete misnomer?

If wooden artifacts this ancient survived, what other lost technologies are we missing?

What were these half-million-year-old wooden structures at Kalambo Falls actually used for?

How did modern dating technology unlock the secrets of a site ignored since the 1960s?