World's oldest wooden structure discovery rewrites human history

[magicarpet]

ByEric Ralls
Earth.com staff writer
For decades, many people pictured ancient humans as relying mostly on stone. New wood findings from early human settlements at Kalambo Falls in Zambia suggest that view may need adjusting.

Researchers have uncovered wooden structures dating back about 476,000 years, and they don’t seem like random sticks piled together.

Instead, they appear to be carefully shaped and joined, possibly forming a platform or the base of a shelter. Such woodworking extends far beyond what was once expected of humans living so long ago.

Shortly after making this discovery, Professor Larry Barham from the University of Liverpool and his team identified a wedge, a digging stick, a log cut with the help of tools, and a branch with a deliberate notch.

Link to more info,....

https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-wooden-structure-completely-rewrites-early-human-history/




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[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

1. Adam's crib?

[BeerBarrelPolka]

2. Why

Why that's 470,000 years before earth

[malaise]

3. Fascinating

K & R for visibility

[Hellbound Hellhound]

4. Absolutely beautiful and fascinating. Kick. n/t

[Hekate]

5. Wonderful stuff

[LymphocyteLover]

6. Awesome they found this but not sure why this rewrites human history (it is already in flux)

[magicarpet]

8. The thing is scientists ciuld not go backwards with much certaintude

Carbon dating was not very accurate going back too far. This new type dating allows them to go much further back with much more accuracy.

Also wood deteriorates quickly. Stone, Brass, copper, and iron do not disappear so rapidly. It this case they got very lucky because the wooden artifacts object were near a waterfall so the wooden objects were buried in mud and water which helped preserve the objects so they could be studied.

This is why this dig site is giving them so much more information about how humans were able to interact and survive in their environs. How their intellectual skills were not nearly as primitive as we once assumed. The dating of these wooden objects clearly indicates a more advanced society than we formerly envisioned.

These new realizations are causing human history to be rewritten and adjusted to this new found reality. Our human ancestors were not as primitive as we initially thought. The archeological records are scarce because we are talking pre-stoneage people wandering the earth using wood as their primary natural resource that they figured out way to use and manipulate to their day to day benefits.

[Botany]

7. Would these people have been Homo sapiens or Homo erectus?

[3825-87867]

9. Probably visitors stranded on earth from some exporatory mission

and the time ran out for rescue. Maybe they didn't want to violate the Prme Directive and educate those around. Just some simple suggestions and the whole ball started rolling.

[magicarpet]

10. The answer to the question you asked is in this paragraph from the link to this story.

About fifth paragraph in...

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These artifacts were preserved thanks to the waterlogged conditions at Kalambo Falls. The makers lived well before Homo sapiens arose and may have been Homo heidelbergensis or a related species.

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The chances they locate any human bones back to this period are very remote. But you never know.

[Botany]

13. Just get a swab inside their cheeks

And the Homo ercutus v Homo Heidelberg
? Could be answered.

[magicarpet]

15. 500,000 years ago,... that cheek swab might not be too moist.

If you could find the cheek or the cheek bones.

[Celerity]

14. Homo sapiens emerged in Africa around 300,000 years ago from the species Homo heidelbergensis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_history

[leftstreet]

12. DURec

Thanks for posting this!