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The discovery, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, includes a digging stick measuring approximately eighty centimetres in length and a smaller implement of unknown purpose. Both objects display clear evidence of intentional shaping, including marks from chopping and carving that unmistakably indicate human craftsmanship.
"We found marks from chopping and carving on both objects, clear signs that humans had shaped them," said Annemieke Milks, a paleolithic archaeologist at the University of Reading who led the international research team. She described the discovery as incredibly fortunate given how rarely wooden artefacts survive from this period.
The Megalopolis Basin has emerged as a crucial site for understanding early human presence in Europe. Previous excavations uncovered stone tools and animal remains dating back seven hundred thousand years, alongside evidence that early humans were processing elephant carcasses at lakeside locations.
The discovery adds to mounting evidence that our ancient ancestors were far more technologically sophisticated than previously believed, challenging assumptions about the cognitive abilities of pre-sapiens hominins.
World's Oldest Wooden Tools Discovered in Greece Push Back Human Technology by 40,000 Years
January 27, 2026
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Archaeologists have discovered two wooden tools in Greece dating back 430,000 years, making them the oldest handheld wooden implements ever found. The remarkable find suggests our ancient ancestors were crafting sophisticated tools long before Homo sapiens even existed.
Ancient Tools Rewrite Human History
Two wooden artefacts recovered from an ancient lake shore in Greece have been confirmed as the oldest handheld wooden tools ever discovered, pushing back our understanding of early human technology by at least forty thousand years.The discovery, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, includes a digging stick measuring approximately eighty centimetres in length and a smaller implement of unknown purpose. Both objects display clear evidence of intentional shaping, including marks from chopping and carving that unmistakably indicate human craftsmanship.
Exceptional Preservation in Waterlogged Sediment
Wood typically decomposes rapidly, making ancient wooden artefacts extraordinarily rare. These tools survived because the ground was heavily waterlogged when they were made and because they were buried approximately thirty metres below the surface in the Megalopolis Basin of southern Greece."We found marks from chopping and carving on both objects, clear signs that humans had shaped them," said Annemieke Milks, a paleolithic archaeologist at the University of Reading who led the international research team. She described the discovery as incredibly fortunate given how rarely wooden artefacts survive from this period.
Mystery Toolmakers
Perhaps most intriguingly, the identity of the craftspeople remains uncertain. The tools predate the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe by hundreds of thousands of years, suggesting they were created by an earlier hominin species. Researchers speculate that Homo antecessor, believed to be the last common ancestor of modern humans and Neanderthals, may have inhabited this region.The Megalopolis Basin has emerged as a crucial site for understanding early human presence in Europe. Previous excavations uncovered stone tools and animal remains dating back seven hundred thousand years, alongside evidence that early humans were processing elephant carcasses at lakeside locations.
The discovery adds to mounting evidence that our ancient ancestors were far more technologically sophisticated than previously believed, challenging assumptions about the cognitive abilities of pre-sapiens hominins.
Published January 27, 2026 at 2:29am
