Stone tools found in Ukraine, dating back to 1.4 million years ago, could be the earliest definitive evidence of humans in Europe, according to a new study. But there is one catch Homo sapiens probably did not make this tool, rather, they were made by close and, of course, extinct, relatives.
The tools are the oldest known artifacts in Europe made by ancient humans and can therefore tell us about how and when our early relatives first arrived there, according to the study published in Nature. The research supports the theory that some of these early arrivals, who probably belonged to Homo erectus, came to Europe from the east and spread west.
“Until now, there was no strong evidence for an east-to-west migration. Now we have it,” said Roman Garba, an archaeologist at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, and coauthor of the paper, in a press statement. The chipped tools were most likely used for cutting meat or even scraping animal hides, according to the researchers.
Also, while the researchers say the tools may be as much as 1.4 million-years-old, other experts suggest that they may be just over one million years old, according to the Associated Press. This could make them contemporaneous with other tools discovered in Spain.
The oldest stone tools of this type yet discovered were found in Africa and date back to 2.8 million years ago.
Also read: “The hands once holding guns now embracing iPads and computers”: Dr Jitendra
