World’s Oldest Wooden Structure
Archaeologists unearthed the world’s oldest wooden structure at Kalambo Falls in Zambia, making a groundbreaking discovery. This remarkable find dates back approximately 476,000 years, well before the emergence of Homo sapiens.
The well-preserved wooden structure, believed to function as a platform, walkway, or raised dwelling, bears signs of using stone tools to connect two large logs. This discovery challenges the conventional view of early human capabilities, suggesting advanced innovation.
The site also yielded a collection of wooden tools, including a wedge and a digging stick. This finding contradicts the idea that early humans of this era primarily used wood for limited purposes like fire starting or hunting.
The wooden structure implies a more settled, permanent dwelling near a consistent water source, the Kalambo River, challenging the perception that these early humans were purely nomadic.
Larry Barham, the lead author of the study and an archaeologist at the University of Liverpool in the UK, noted that the previously oldest known wooden structure dated back approximately 9,000 years.
This “chance discovery” occurred in 2019 during excavations near the Kalambo River, situated above a 770-foot waterfall. Ancient wood is seldom found due to its natural tendency to decay over time, but the high water levels at Kalambo Falls likely preserved the structure for centuries.
This significant finding implies advanced abstract thinking, planning, and possibly early forms of language among our ancestors.
