For over a century, Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania has been the stage for some of the most profound discoveries in human evolution. It has yielded fossils and tools that have pieced together our early ancestors’ story, allowing archaeologists to understand how hominins interacted with their environment. But now, a new study published in Nature pushes the boundaries of what we thought we knew about early technology. Researchers have uncovered a collection of systematically shaped bone tools at Olduvai Gorge, dating back to 1.5 million years ago—an astonishing 1 million years earlier than previously known examples of knapped bone tools.
This finding changes the way we think about early human cognition, technological adaptability, and cultural innovation. The team behind the discovery, led by Ignacio de la Torre, Luc Doyon, and Francesco d’Errico, argues that these tools represent a distinct technological tradition, not just an opportunistic or accidental use of bones.
Before this study, most researchers believed that systematic bone tool production did not appear until the Middle Pleistocene, around 400,000 years ago, with early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. The evidence from Olduvai Gorge, however, tells a different story.
The site, known as the T69 Complex, has yielded 27 bone tools made primarily from the limbs of elephants and hippopotamuses. These were not simply used fragments but carefully shaped artifacts, demonstrating intentional knapping—striking the bones with stone tools to modify their shape. This suggests that early Acheulean hominins had already begun transferring their stone-working knowledge to bone, a material that requires different techniques to manipulate effectively.
“Our results demonstrate that at the transition between the Oldowan and the early Acheulean, East African hominins developed an original cultural innovation that entailed a transfer and adaptation of knapping skills from stone to bone.”
The implications of this are profound. Not only does it show that early hominins were capable of complex technological thinking, but it also suggests that they were experimenting with different materials to expand their toolmaking repertoire—a trait that would later define Homo sapiens.
The question of function is critical. Unlike the more commonly found stone tools, these bone tools were likely used for heavy-duty tasks. Their size and shape suggest they were designed for butchery—perhaps to process large animal carcasses. Some of the tools feature notched grips, hinting at ergonomic design choices made by their makers.
The researchers suggest that at a time when large cutting stone tools were still relatively rare, these bone tools may have played a vital role in early hominin survival, particularly in processing meat.
“At butchery sites of large mammals where suitable raw material was readily available, large heavy bone tools may have fulfilled functions that were later achieved by large bifacial stone tools.”
This means that bone tools may have been the precursor to more advanced stone tool technologies, filling an important technological gap in early hominin toolkits.
The significance of this discovery extends beyond the tools themselves. The ability to systematically create and use bone tools suggests advanced cognitive and social skills. The researchers argue that this innovation required:
-
Anatomical knowledge—understanding which bones were best suited for toolmaking
-
Material selection—choosing large, dense bones that could withstand repeated use
-
Social learning—passing down knowledge through generations
-
Planning—anticipating the need for tools and creating them in advance
These elements point to an emerging complexity in hominin culture, demonstrating that they were capable of thinking beyond immediate survival needs.
One of the lingering questions is why this tradition of bone toolmaking seems to disappear for nearly a million years before reappearing in the Middle Pleistocene. The researchers propose two possibilities:
-
Preservation bias—Organic materials like bone degrade more easily than stone, meaning that many bone tools may have simply been lost to time.
-
Technological shifts—As hominins refined their stone tool technology, they may have abandoned bone tools in favor of more efficient alternatives.
Future excavations may provide answers, but for now, this discovery highlights the gaps in our knowledge and the potential for even older bone tool traditions waiting to be uncovered.
This study challenges the long-standing assumption that early hominin tool use was primarily limited to stone. The evidence from Olduvai Gorge suggests that early Acheulean hominins were already experimenting with a range of materials and developing more sophisticated technological behaviors than previously thought.
It also raises new questions about the timeline of human cognitive evolution. If hominins were capable of systematic bone tool production 1.5 million years ago, what other advanced behaviors might they have engaged in that we have yet to discover?
This discovery serves as a reminder that our understanding of human evolution is still evolving, shaped by every new find. The story of our ancestors is far from complete, and as we uncover more evidence, the picture of who we are—and where we came from—continues to grow richer and more complex.
