Scientists discover that a major technological breakthrough occurred 900,000 years ago

Scientists discovered a major technological breakthrough in Spain 900,000 years ago.

They discovered ancient stone tools that predated the split between modern humans and Neanderthals, and were likely used by a shared ancestor.

The tools were hammered, a process of shaping a stone by striking it with another stone, following a common sequence, suggesting that ancient people followed a template to achieve consistent results, the researchers concluded.

The newly found artifacts are classified as Mode 2 tools, which are large, two-sided cutting tools made from stone flakes and cores, like Acheulean hand axes.

These tools are made with more advanced techniques than Mode 1 tools, which are more than three million years old.

These techniques involved using other materials such as bone and wood to perfect the blades, but Mode 2 was more symmetrical.

The advanced level of foresight and planning involved in creating these tools marked a quantum leap in human cognition because it suggests that these early humans could use a mental model, the researchers said.

“The technological behavior observed at El Barranc de la Boella demonstrates significant technological progress and anticipatory behavior,” the study said.

The researchers said these tools represented a quantum leap in human cognition because it suggests early humans could use a mental model

The tools were discovered by anthropologist Diego Lombao of the University of Santiago de Compostela and his colleagues. The team published their findings in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology.

Furthermore, the ancient people who lived in El Barranc de la Boella during the early Middle Pleistocene followed a refined process when making their stone tools.

This involved transporting a range of local materials to make axes and picks at different stages of production, and choosing specific materials for different purposes, such as flint for small tools and slate – another flaky rock – for large tools.

Therefore, “Barranc de la Boella is a unique testimony to the technological change of hominins in Europe at a time when tools were not only utilitarian, but also involved advanced planning and more efficient use of resources,” Lombao said.

“This archaeological site shows us that technological innovation was not linear or a completely abrupt leap, but the result of multiple population waves and the gradual arrival in Europe of new technological behavior from Africa,” he added.

But it is still unclear whether these advanced methods were actually developed in Barranc de la Boella, as there is evidence that they were brought there after turning up elsewhere.

The newly found artifacts are classified as Mode 2 tools, which are large, two-sided cutting tools made from stone flakes and cores, such as Acheulean hand axes, pictured above (STOCK)

The new tools are made with more advanced techniques than Mode 1 tools, which are more than three million years old (photo)

Some techniques appeared suddenly in the region, indicating that they were probably brought there by migrants. Furthermore, the tools show strong similarities to those found at other locations, such as Ubeidiya near the Sea of ​​Galilee in Israel.

“We propose that El Barranc de la Boella may represent an early dispersal of the Acheulean from Africa, approximately 1.4 million years ago,” the researchers wrote.

Even though the ancient people of Barranc de la Boella may not have invented these advanced stone tools, their ability to recreate them indicates their cognitive ability to use a mental model that includes foresight and planning.

Furthermore, the discovery narrows the chronological gap between technological behavior in Europe, Asia and Africa, showing that ancient Europeans already shared technological elements with ancient Africans almost a million years ago.

Mode 1 tools, also known as an ‘Oldowan toolkit’, were recently discovered in 2023 at the Nyayanga archaeological site in present-day Kenya.

Analysis of wear patterns on 30 of the tools showed that they had been used for cutting, scraping and crushing both animals and plants.

Dr. Thomas Plummer, lead author of the study, said: ‘This is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, example of Oldowan technology.

‘This shows that the toolkit was more widely distributed earlier than people realized, and was used to process a wide variety of plant and animal tissues.

‘We don’t know for sure what its adaptive significance was, but the variety of uses suggests it was important to these hominins.’