Collection of Stone Tools made before First Humans evolved found near Turkana
Researchers have discovered a collection of stone tools older than the evolution of first humans. The discovery made in Turkana can change the long-held belief that the stone tools were first made by humans. The researchers have found a collection of stone tools in Turkana, which they said are older than the first humans are thought to have evolved. The tool-making technique is associated with humans, who used to break rocks in such a way that they are able to come up with the needed sharp tools.
It is considered that the process started around 2.5 million years ago. But a group of researchers led by New York's Stony Brook University have something different to narrate. They have discovered stone tools that are much older than the above mentioned time period.
The tools that were found in a desert area west of Kenya's Lake Turkana have now been kept in a museum in Nairobi. Archaeologists Sonia Harmand and Jason Lewis from the university have carried assessment of the found tools.
The researchers said initially, they were not able to know that these tools were so ancient. Sammy Lokorodi, a Kenyan goatherd and fossil hunter on the team, was the one who found first stone tool on the surface.
Team head Sonia Harmand was aware of the fact that the tool was old. Harmand said, "We were very, very excited. But at that time, we didn't know, at all, we were going to have these stone tools begin at 3.3 million years ago". The time period is much before human evolved from apelike ancestors.
Now, the next task was to prove that these tools have been made by hands. While conducting research, they found a complete stone tool making kit, which early humans might have used. The kit had big core stones, flat anvil stones and sharp flakes.
The researchers think apelike creature called Australopithecus could have made these tools.