A Significant Technological Advancement Occurred 900,000 Years Ago
Around 900,000 years ago, stone tool technology took a major leap forward in Spain. Anthropologist Diego Lombao from the University of Santiago de Compostela and his team discovered the earliest known European example of advanced stone tool techniques at El Barranc de la Boella in northeastern Spain.
This technological advance predates the evolutionary split between modern humans and Neanderthals, suggesting that our shared ancestors or other now-extinct human species created and used these tools. Lombao and his team noted that the behavior at El Barranc de la Boella demonstrates significant advancements and anticipatory thinking.
Analysis showed that the tools were knapped in a consistent sequence, indicating the tool makers followed a common template. These early humans not only crafted larger tools but also tailored them for specific tasks, showing a high level of foresight and planning.
The earliest known stone tools, classified as Oldowan or Mode 1, date back nearly 3 million years. These tools were simple: one stone was hammered against another to produce sharp-edged shards, which could be refined by further strikes.
Earliest Evidence of Mode 2 Techniques in Europe: Refining Acheulean Handaxes for Greater Sophistication
However, Lombao’s team uncovered the earliest evidence of Mode 2 techniques in Europe, which produced more sophisticated Acheulean handaxes. This advancement involved additional refinement, often using bone and wood, to perfect the tools and make them more symmetrical.
At El Barranc de la Boella, early humans developed a complex process, transporting various local materials to create tools at different stages. They selected specific materials for specific purposes, using flint (chert) for smaller tools and schist for larger ones. Lombao described the site as “a unique testimony to technological change in Europe, where tools were not only utilitarian but also required sophisticated planning and efficient resource use.”
Despite the discovery, some techniques appeared suddenly, suggesting they may have come from migration rather than local development. The tools closely resemble those found at Ubeidiya in the Levant, leading researchers to propose that Acheulean technology spread from Africa to El Barranc de la Boella around 1.4 million years ago.
These tools highlight cognitive abilities such as foresight and planning. Lombao noted that technological progress was gradual, driven by migration and the slow adoption of new technologies in Europe. About 300,000 years later, humanity would experience another technological leap, laying the foundation for cumulative culture that continues today.
Read Original Article: Science Alert
Read More: Scitke
