Oldest wooden tools in East Asia may have come from any of three species

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in China, revealing that sophisticated wooden tools were crafted by early hominins approximately 300,000 years ago. These remarkable findings, which include digging sticks and curved root-slicers, were unearthed at the Gantangqing site, located on the shores of Lake Fuxian in southwestern China. This collection of 35 wooden tools represents the oldest known examples from East Asia, contrasting with previous Pleistocene discoveries in the region that were primarily made from more durable materials such as stone, bone, or antler. The existence of these wooden implements has sparked discussions about the materials early hominins may have used, leading to what researchers refer to as the Bamboo Hypothesis. This theory suggests that hominins, including our own species, could have utilized bamboo similarly to how wood was employed in other contexts during the Pleistocene era. While evidence supporting bamboo tool usage remains elusive, the tools from Gantangqing provide insight into the dietary practices of these ancient groups. According to Jian-Hui Liu and his team from the Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the wooden tools were likely designed for harvesting specific plant parts, such as rhizomes and corms, which are vital for nutrient storage. Given the wetland environment surrounding the site, these starchy resources would have been plentiful, indicating that the hominins who inhabited this area possessed a sophisticated understanding of their local ecosystem. The diversity in tool design, including some that resemble implements found at a Neanderthal site in Italy dated to 171,000 years ago, suggests that these ancient peoples were adept at problem-solving. This finding draws parallels to the modern hunter-gatherer practices of groups like the Australian Bindibu, Tanzanian Hadza, and South African San, highlighting how similar challenges often lead to similar solutions across different cultures and eras.