Photo courtesy Nature

Archaeologists in Kenya have unearthed ancient stone tools used by early man from as long as three million years’ ago, surpassing the age of such stone tools found in the Ledi-Gararu site in Ethiopia which date back 2.6 million years.

As reported in the journal Science the stone tools were found on the banks of Lake Victoria at the Nyayanga site in the Homa Bay area of western Kenya.

Alongside the stone tools, known as Odowan, used by early hominids the archaeologists also found the teeth of Paranthropus, described as a “muscular-jawed ape-like” creature, an upright walking species that roamed the African savannah.

Archaeologists Confounded

The findings at the Nyaynga site have confounded archaeologists as Paranthropus is not a direct ancestor of man and until now has not been linked to the making and use of stone tools.

It had been thought that stone tools were used only by early Homo Sapiens, the modern species of man but no Homo Sapiens fossils were found during the excavation.
It is believed that the stone tools were used to carve up hippos and pound plant materials such as tubers and fruit.

Professor Rick Potts from the Smithsonian Natural Museum said: “The association of these Nyayanga tools with Paranthropus may re-open the case as to who made the oldest Oldowan tools.”

For greater detail read Science magazine ‘World’s oldest stone tools  discovered in Kenya’.