Archaeologists have unearthed Oldowan stone tools across three distinct archaeological layers at the Namorotuknan site, dated to roughly 300,000 years (2.75 million to 2.44 million years ago) within the Koobifora Formation in northeastern Turkana Basin, Marsabit District, Kenya. This discovery, indicating careful selection of rock materials, points to the sustained practice of toolmaking across epochs.
A 2.58 million year old stone tool excavated from the Namorotuknan ruins in Kenya. Image credit: Brown others., doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64244-x.
The initial phases of toolmaking, which date back over 3 million years, emphasize percussion techniques that are prevalent in the human lineage and shared with other primates.
The practice of tool use associated with extractive foraging continues to be a notable aspect of certain modern primate species.
The earliest structured creation of sharp stone tools, referred to as Oldowan, has been documented at hominin sites in eastern Africa: Lady Gerar and Gona in the Afar Basin (2.6 million years ago), Ethiopia, and Nyayanga in western Kenya (2.6 to 2.9 million years ago).
Professor David R. Brown, an anthropologist at George Washington University and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, along with his team, discovered stone tools across three archaeological horizons at the Namorotuknan site, estimated to be 2.75 million years ago, 2.58 million years ago, and 2.44 million years ago.
“This site tells an extraordinary story of cultural continuity,” Professor Brown remarked.
“What we observe is a long-standing tradition of technology rather than a singular innovation.”
“Our findings imply that tool usage might have been a more widespread adaptation among our primate ancestors,” stated Dr. Susana Carvalho, science director at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique.
“Namorotsukunan offers a unique perspective into a transforming world: flowing rivers, fierce fires, expanding arid regions, and resilient tools.”
Stone tools discovered at the Three Horizons site at the Namorotuknan site in Kenya. Image credit: Brown others., doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64244-x.
“For 300,000 years, the same tools have endured, possibly revealing the origins of our fundamental habit of using technology to adapt to change,” remarked Dr. Dan V. Parc Laurier, a researcher at GeoEcoMar, Utrecht University, and the University of São Paulo.
“Early humans showed remarkable consistency in creating sharp stone tools, reflecting advanced technology and knowledge handed down through numerous generations.”
Researchers have utilized volcanic ash dating, ancient sediment magnetic signals, chemical signatures in rocks, and microscopic plant remains to construct a broad narrative of climate change, providing context for the influence of technology on human evolution.
These toolmakers managed to persevere through significant environmental transformations. Their innovative technology facilitated new dietary practices, including the consumption of meat, transforming challenges into survival advantages.
“These discoveries indicate that humans had already mastered the creation of sharp stone tools by approximately 2.75 million years ago, suggesting that the inception of Oldowan technology is older than previously believed,” stated Dr. Nigas Baraki, a researcher at George Washington University.
Dr. Francis Forrest, a researcher at Fairfield University, added: “At Namorotuknan, cut marks connect stone tools with carnivory, indicating a diverse diet that thrived amidst shifting landscapes.”
“The record of plant fossils narrates a fascinating tale: the landscape transitioned from rich wetlands to fire-prone arid grasslands and semi-deserts,” noted Dr. Rahab N. Kinyanjui, a researcher at the National Museum of Kenya and the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology.
“Despite changes in vegetation, the production of tools remained consistent. This reflects resilience.”
of result Posted in today’s diary nature communications.
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Dr. Brown others. 2025. Early Oldowan technology flourished during Pliocene environmental change in the Turkana Basin of Kenya. Nat Commun 16, 9401;doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64244-x
Source: www.sci.news
