In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have uncovered one of the oldest and longest-lasting collections of stone tools ever found—evidence that early humans had already mastered technology nearly 2.75 million years ago.
The tools, discovered at the Namorotukunan Site in Kenya’s Turkana Basin, show that our ancient ancestors were remarkably skilled and adaptable, even as they faced dramatic environmental upheavals.
The study, published in Nature Communications, describes how early toolmakers maintained a stable technological tradition for roughly 300,000 years, from 2.75 to 2.44 million years ago—a time when the world around them was anything but stable.
Massive climate swings brought alternating periods of drought and flooding, wildfires swept across the plains, and shifting rivers reshaped the landscape.
Yet, through all of this chaos, these ancient humans kept crafting the same carefully made stone tools.
“This site reveals an extraordinary story of cultural continuity,” said David R. Braun, lead author of the study and professor of anthropology at the George Washington University and the Max Planck Institute. “What we’re seeing isn’t a one-time burst of innovation—it’s a long-standing technological tradition.”
The tools, known as Oldowan technology, are among the earliest forms of human toolmaking. They were simple but versatile—sharp-edged flakes chipped from larger stones that could be used for cutting meat, cracking bones, and scraping plants.
In many ways, they were the prehistoric equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, designed to handle whatever challenges early humans faced.
To determine the age and environmental context of the artifacts, researchers used a combination of cutting-edge techniques, including volcanic ash dating, magnetic signals in ancient sediments, and microscopic analyses of plant fossils.
These methods revealed that early toolmakers at Namorotukunan lived during one of the most volatile climate periods in Earth’s history—yet they found ways to endure and adapt.
“Namorotukunan offers a rare glimpse into a changing world long gone—rivers shifting, fires tearing through, and aridity closing in,” said Dan V. Palcu Rolier, a senior scientist at GeoEcoMar, Utrecht University, and the University of São Paulo.
“And through it all, the tools stayed the same, showing how technology became a way for our ancestors to steady themselves against change.”
The study also found evidence linking the tools to meat consumption—a major step in human evolution. Cut marks on fossilized bones show that these early hominins used the tools to butcher animals, expanding their diet beyond plants.
“The fossil and plant records tell an incredible story,” said Rahab N. Kinyanjui from the National Museums of Kenya. “As the landscape shifted from lush wetlands to fire-swept grasslands and semideserts, the toolmaking remained steady. That’s resilience.”
The findings suggest that the roots of human ingenuity run deep. For nearly 300,000 years, our ancestors used technology not just to survive environmental change—but to thrive in it.
Source: KSR.
