1.5 million years ago, some very determined hominids took a look at a pile of animal bones and thought, “What if we made these sharper?” Fast forward to today, and archaeologists digging through Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge have just uncovered the oldest known bone tools on record. If confirmed, this discovery pushes back the timeline of systematic bone toolmaking by a solid million years.
A team led by Ignacio de la Torre at the CSIC-Spanish National Research Council unearthed 27 bone tools in sediment layers already dated to 1.5 million years ago. The potential culprits? Either Homo erectus, a species that might have given rise to modern humans, or Paranthropus boisei, a side-branch hominid famous for its massive jaw and a diet that likely included more than just plants. If Paranthropus was the toolmaker, that would challenge a long-standing assumption that intelligence and tool use were exclusive to our direct ancestors.
Stone tools have been around for at least 3.3 million years, well before Homo erectus showed up, but bone tools? Until recently, they were thought to be a relatively recent innovation, appearing no earlier than 500,000 years ago. Then came a 1.4-million-year-old hippo leg bone from Ethiopia, reanalyzed decades after it was first found, showing clear evidence of cutting or sawing. And now, the Olduvai discovery confirms that early hominids were systematically crafting bone tools much earlier than expected.
The tools found in Olduvai Gorge vary in size and shape, but many were clearly designed for precision work. Most were made from hippo and elephant leg bones, with some reaching up to 38 centimeters—about the length from an adult’s elbow to their fingertips. The largest ones could have been used for heftier tasks like breaking into carcasses, while smaller, carved tools may have served more delicate purposes.
Six of the artifacts feature notched grips, suggesting that 1.5 million years ago, some hominid had the foresight to carve out ergonomic handles. Others resemble the classic pear-shaped stone hand axes that defined the Acheulean industry, a tool tradition that popped up around 1.7 million years ago. This hints at something fascinating: early humans may have realized that what worked for stone could work for bone, too.
The site also holds a grim yet practical revelation—hippo bones with clear butchery marks, proving that Olduvai’s inhabitants weren’t just scavenging; they were systematically processing meat. Elephant bones, on the other hand, were strangely scarce, leading researchers to believe that large bone tools were hauled in from elsewhere. In other words, these hominids weren’t just opportunists; they were planners, hauling the right materials to the right locations.
So what does this all mean? If early humans or their relatives were crafting bone tools at this scale 1.5 million years ago, then our understanding of technological innovation in prehistory is—once again—due for an update. The gap between stone and bone tool industries just got a lot smaller, and our ancestors (or their cousins) were a lot more creative than we gave them credit for.
Five Fast Facts
- The Olduvai Gorge, where these bone tools were found, has been called the “Cradle of Mankind” because it has produced some of the oldest human fossils ever discovered.
- Paranthropus boisei, one of the possible toolmakers, had teeth so massive that researchers once thought it survived almost entirely on nuts and tough plants—hence its nickname, “Nutcracker Man.”
- The Acheulean tool industry, which these bone tools may have been influenced by, lasted for over 1.5 million years—making it humanity’s longest-running technology.
- Homo erectus is believed to be the first hominid species to control fire, although evidence remains debated.
- Hippos, whose bones were commonly used for these tools, have been around for at least 55 million years—far longer than any hominid species.