A new study has revealed that ancient human ancestors were far more skilled and organized than previously thought.
Nearly 800,000 years ago, they were carefully selecting different types of stone for specific tools rather than simply picking up whatever rocks happened to be nearby.
The findings suggest that these early humans possessed detailed knowledge of their environment, advanced planning abilities, and technological traditions that were passed down through many generations.
The research, published in Scientific Reports, focused on the famous archaeological site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY) in present-day Israel.
The site dates to about 780,000 years ago and preserves evidence of repeated visits by Acheulian hominins, an early human group known for producing large stone tools.
Previous excavations at the site uncovered a remarkable collection of artifacts, including stone tools, evidence of controlled fire, plant use, fish consumption, and animal processing. Among the most important materials used by these hominins was basalt, a hard volcanic rock that was ideal for making large cutting tools such as hand axes and cleavers.
Scientists already knew that producing these tools required a complex process. Large basalt slabs were selected and shaped into giant cores. Large flakes were then removed from these cores and further refined into useful cutting tools. This process demanded both skill and careful planning.
The new study asked a different question: where did the hominins obtain the basalt they used?
To find out, researchers analyzed the chemical composition of basalt tools recovered from the site. Every basalt flow contains a unique combination of chemical elements, creating a kind of geological fingerprint. By comparing the fingerprints of the tools with basalt samples from the surrounding region, the team could identify where the stone originally came from.
The results showed that many of the tools were made from basalt sources located within about one kilometer of the site. Surprisingly, some tools matched basalt flows that are now buried deep underground and no longer visible at the surface.
This discovery allowed researchers to reconstruct parts of an ancient landscape that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago but has since been altered by earthquakes, erosion, and sediment buildup. The area lies along the tectonically active Dead Sea Transform, where geological processes have dramatically reshaped the landscape over time.
The study also found that different types of tools were linked to different basalt sources. Giant cores were commonly made from nearby or now-buried local basalt, while some cleavers appeared to come from other sources. This suggests that the hominins were deliberately selecting stone with particular characteristics depending on the tool they wanted to make.
Researchers believe they may have been choosing basalt based on factors such as size, shape, internal structure, and suitability for specific manufacturing techniques.
Perhaps most impressively, the same stone-selection patterns appeared repeatedly across multiple archaeological layers. This indicates that these practices continued for tens of thousands of years and were likely taught from one generation to the next.
The findings paint a picture of early humans who were not merely surviving in their environment but actively studying and understanding it.
Nearly 800,000 years ago, they knew where to find the best stone, how to use it, and which type was best suited for each task. In other words, they understood the importance of choosing the right rock for the right tool—a surprisingly sophisticated skill for such an ancient time.
Source: KSR.
