A wooden structure, dated 476,000 years old, was found at Kalambo Falls in Zambia. This discovery has significantly altered our view of early hominin intelligence. Researchers from Aberystwyth University and the University of Liverpool uncovered these logs that fit together, marking the oldest known example of wood used in building. Remarkably, this structure existed over 200,000 years before Homo sapiens appeared. The waterlogged clay preserved the artefacts, showing advanced carpentry skills like using stone tools for notching timber to join pieces.
These findings indicate Pleistocene ancestors were more than just wandering foragers; they had the mental ability to alter their surroundings for permanent living spaces. This revelation changes what we thought about our ancestors’ technological progress and history.
