Discovering Humanity’s First Tools: The Evolution of Simple Containers

Exploring Prehistoric Containers

Compiling a comprehensive database of ancient containers is a daunting task. Kissel and his colleagues dedicated over a year to scouring scientific literature for examples, using a broad range of terminology to identify various types of containers, faced with the realization that they had to cease their efforts and recently published their findings in a study in the Journal of Human Archaeology on April 8th.

Determining what qualifies as a container posed another challenge. They opted for a wide definition: “Any object that functions as a container (holding contents and acting as a barrier) and can be transported by humans.”

This broader definition includes items not conventionally viewed as containers, such as spoons, which can also transport materials. Notably, examples of early lamps comprise small rock slabs with hollows to hold and burn animal fat. A renowned specimen from the Lascaux Caves in France is carved from red sandstone and features a handle.

Other containers might include hollow bones; for instance, tubes crafted from swan wing bones may have been utilized for needle transport. Similarly, robust ostrich eggs were likely employed in Africa for carrying water on lengthy journeys. Rock art raises further possibilities, depicting vessels and net-like objects found in Gennersdorf, Germany.

The research team ultimately cataloged 793 mobile containers, exploring examples from the Pleistocene epoch, which spans 2.58 million years to 11,700 years ago; however, all findings seem to date back no further than 500,000 years.

Conventionally, archaeologists believed containers emerged in the last 10,000 years, closely tied to the agricultural revolution and the advent of pottery, attributed to the rise of agrarian societies that needed to store surplus food. Hunter-gatherer societies were thought to lack such surplus and mobility would render pots easily breakable.

However, Kissel argues this notion has largely been overturned, suggesting a more gradual and fragmented transition from prehistory to the Neolithic era. Evidence indicates that some indigenous Australian groups crafted pottery over 2,000 years ago; simultaneously, early gatherers in the Amazon, dating back 10,000 years, left pottery shards behind, with signs of ceramic production in China as early as 18,000 years ago.

This evolution implies a gradual development of containers over time. Kissel maintains, “It’s beneficial to observe containers along a spectrum.”

While container origins reach deep into our past, it’s worth noting that non-human primates like great apes do not utilize them; instead, they might use leaves as sponges to draw water. Kissel suggests this fundamental difference speaks volumes about human evolution.

The oldest container identified in their database is a bark tray or dish, unearthed at Kalambo Falls in Zambia, estimated to be between 400,000 to 500,000 years old. Kalambo Falls has showcased remarkably preserved wooden artifacts, including a structure potentially dating back 476,000 years. However, dating for the bark tray remains inconclusive.

This reveals a significant challenge Kissel’s team faced: numerous artifacts were excavated long ago, resulting in vital information obscured in outdated texts, often inaccessible online. The Kalambo Falls tray was excavated in the 1950s by archaeologist John Desmond Clarke, with minimal records available today.

Despite observable trends within the dataset, Kissel emphasizes they primarily reflect the archaeological record’s limitations rather than definitive prehistoric facts. Astonishingly, 87.8 percent of the identified containers were discovered in Europe, a statistic Kissel attributes to the extensive archaeological endeavors in that region rather than implying that Europe was the cradle for container innovation. Interestingly, the dataset’s oldest containers hail from Africa.

Furthermore, only two vessels in their records exceed 100,000 years old; nevertheless, Kissel posits that hominins likely employed containers far earlier than documented. Such artifacts may be undiscovered or have undergone degradation.

As Kissel puts it, a clearer understanding of how integral containers have been to human existence is emerging. In Europe, where archaeological research is robust, many examples persist despite conservation issues, indicating their necessity for human survival.

The Role of Containers in Human Evolution

Kissel theorizes that one of the initial applications of containers might have been for carrying infants in slings. Many anthropologists—especially women—have championed this concept for decades.

Great apes like chimpanzees typically carry their infants clinging to their bodies. However, as humans evolved with less body hair and an increased reliance on bipedal locomotion, baby carriers would have become essential for carrying helpless newborns. Millions of years ago, Australopithecus likely utilized slings, implying that even Lucy, a representative of Australopithecus afarensis, may have carried an infant snugly.

While these concepts are not groundbreaking, their prominence is gradually increasing, largely due to their early association with feminist interpretations of prehistory, which faced skepticism.

In 1976, anthropologists Nancy Tanner and Adrian Zillman posited that the earliest tools may have been baskets, utilized primarily by women for carrying food. Their work challenged the misconception of prehistoric male dominance, introducing a more nuanced portrait that included women’s contributions.

Feminist journalist Elizabeth Fisher echoed similar themes in her 1979 book, Creation of Woman: Evolution of Sexuality and Formation of Society, where she argued that the earliest cultural inventions likely included containers for gathered products.

Mystery writer Ursula Le Guin influenced the narrative surrounding containers with her Carrier-Bag Theory of Fiction, emphasizing that without a vessel, food remains unattainable, and even the simplest container allows for preservation during adverse conditions.

Le Guin advocated for a reassessment of historical narratives, advocating narratives of community, nurturing, and environmental stewardship alongside tales of conflict. She asserted the necessity of fostering alternate narratives to enrich our understanding of humanity’s journey.

As this exploration unfolds, it’s important to track the data. There’s increasing evidence that humanity’s distinctiveness lies not only in intelligence, creativity, or aggression but in our capabilities for empathy and social connection. When isolated from one another, human beings face a notably higher risk of extinction due to the lack of cooperative networks.

Our survival as a species hinges on collaboration and sharing, as exemplified by the way one might offer a piece of their food stores to a friend in need using a homemade container.