Ancient Bone Tools Unearthed in Tanzania Reveal Secrets of Early Hominin Innovation

In a groundbreaking discovery at the Olduvai Gorge site in Tanzania, a Spanish-led team of researchers has unearthed bone tools that date back 1.5 million years. These ancient tools, crafted from the leg and arm bones of large mammals such as elephants and hippos, offer new insights into the technological capabilities of early hominins, specifically the robust Australopithecus. The findings, revealed in 2023 at the CSIC-Pleistocene Archaeology Lab in Madrid, demonstrate a level of ingenuity and resourcefulness previously underestimated in these early human ancestors.

The bone tools, ranging in length from 20cm to 40cm and weighing up to a kilo, were primarily employed for digging tubers from termite mounds—an activity akin to how chimpanzees, humans' closest living relatives, use sticks today. This discovery sheds light on the adaptive behaviors of early hominins, who utilized available resources to procure food. The tools themselves were made from a 1.5-million-year-old elephant bone, marking an original invention during a period of transition to more advanced tool-making techniques.

“There is a clear desire to change the shape of the bone to turn them into very heavy, long tools,” said Francesco d’Errico.

The Acheulean culture, known for crafting hand axes or bifaces from stone, also adapted similar techniques to carve these bone tools. These tools were systematically created over 500,000 years ago by early humans in Africa. The innovative use of bone technology disappeared for nearly a million years before resurfacing in other areas like modern-day Rome, Italy, where elephant bones were similarly carved into hand axes.

“The hypothesis of the study is that the bone-cutting at Olduvai is an original invention, during a moment of transition to bifaces,” added Francesco d’Errico.

This research not only underscores the technological prowess of early hominins but also highlights the significance of the Olduvai Gorge as a pivotal site for understanding human evolution. The systematic making of these bone tools indicates a sophisticated level of thought and planning by early humans as they adapted to their environment.

“… sheds new light on the almost unknown world of early hominin bone technology,” remarked the researchers.