Ancient wooden structure crafted by a human ancestor discovered in Zambia

Archaeologists in Zambia have made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering evidence of the oldest known wooden structure created by the hands of a human ancestor. The find, consisting of two stumps with notches similar to building materials, was discovered at the bottom of the Kalambo River in Zambia. 

Dating back to an incredible 476,000 years ago, this find suggests that woodworking skills may have evolved long before the rise of Homo sapiens and reveals the amazing abilities and intelligence of our distant hominin ancestors.

The excavation site is located at Kalambo Falls, near Lake Tanganyika in northern Zambia, and has attracted the attention of scientists since the 1950s. Previous excavations around a nearby lake upstream yielded a treasure trove of stone tools that preserved pollen and wooden artifacts. 

However, recent analysis of five modified wooden objects discovered at Kalambo expands the understanding of the site's earliest occupation and provides new perspectives on the minds of our Middle Pleistocene ancestors, who lived between 781,000 and 126,000 years ago.