Scientists have discovered a major technological breakthrough 900,000 years ago in Spain.
They uncovered ancient stone tools that predated the split between modern humans and Neanderthals, which were likely used by a shared ancestor.
The tools were knapped, a process of shaping a stone by striking it with another stone, which followed a common sequence, suggesting ancient humans were following a template to achieve consistent results, the researchers concluded.
The newly found artifacts are classified as Mode 2 tools, which are large, bifacial cutting tools made from stone flakes and cores such as Acheulean hand axes.
These tools are made with more advanced techniques than Mode 1 tools, which date back more than three million years.
Those techniques included using other materials like bone and wood to help perfect the blades, but Mode 2 were more symmetrical.
The sophisticated level of foresight and planning involved in the making of these tools marked a major leap forward in human cognition, as it suggests these early humans were able to use a mental model, according to the researchers.
‘The technological behavior observed at El Barranc de la Boella demonstrates significant technological advancements and anticipatory behavior,’ the study states.
The way the tools were knapped, or shaped by being struck with a stone, followed a common sequence, suggesting these ancient humans could use a mental model
The researchers said that these tools marked a major leap forward in human cognition, as it suggests early humans were able to use a mental model
The tools were discovered by University of Santiago de Compostela anthropologist Diego Lombao and his colleagues. The team published their findings in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology.
Additionally, the ancient humans who lived at El Barranc de la Boella during the early Middle Pleistocene period followed a sophisticated process when making their stone tools.
This involved transporting a range of local materials to make axes and picks at different stages of their production, and choosing specific materials to serve different purposes, such as flint for small tools and schist – another flaky rock – for large ones.
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 sophisticated planning and a 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 waves of populations and the gradual arrival in Europe of new technological behaviors from Africa,’ he added.
But it’s still unclear whether these advanced methods were actually developed at Barranc de la Boella, as some evidence suggests they were brought there after emerging elsewhere.
The newly found artifacts are classified as Mode 2 tools, which are large, bifacial cutting tools made from stone flakes and cores such as Acheulean handaxes, pictured above (STOCK)
The new tools were made with more advanced techniques than Mode 1 tools, which date back more than three million years (pictured)
Some of the techniques appeared in the region suddenly, indicating that they were likely brought there by migrants. Plus, the tools bear strong similarities to those found at other sites, 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 around 1.4 million years ago,’ the researchers wrote.
Even though the ancient humans of Barranc de la Boella may not have invented these sophisticated stone tools, their ability to recreate them indicates their cognitive ability to use a mental model involving foresight and planning.
In addition, the discovery narrows down the chronological gap between technological behaviors in Europe, Asia and Africa, and shows 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 uncovered 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 to cut, scrape and pound both animals and plants.
Dr Thomas Plummer, the study’s lead author, said: ‘This is one of the oldest if not the oldest example of Oldowan technology.
‘This shows the toolkit was more widely distributed at an earlier date than people realised, and that it was used to process a wide variety of plant and animal tissues.
‘We don’t know for sure what the adaptive significance was, but the variety of uses suggests it was important to these hominins.’
