In China, the Gantangqing site has yielded a remarkable discovery that reshapes our understanding of early human history. Dating back approximately 300,000 years, a collection of wooden tools has been unearthed, offering unprecedented insights into the technological capabilities of Middle Pleistocene hominins. The assemblage includes 35 wooden artifacts, primarily crafted from pine, showcasing deliberate shaping, smoothing, and wear patterns. These tools, ranging from digging sticks to hook-like implements, suggest specialized functions like extracting plant roots. This find challenges previous assumptions and highlights the ingenuity of our ancestors.
The meticulous craftsmanship of these wooden tools indicates complex motor skills and planning. The Gantangqing findings emphasize the critical role of organic materials in early human technology and fundamentally shift interpretations of early human diets and ecological adaptations in East Asia. This discovery challenges the Bamboo Hypothesis and prompts a reevaluation of Pleistocene subsistence strategies.