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☆ Zambia find shows humans have built with wood for 476,000 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The rarity of wood preservation at early archaeological sites - it is perishable over time - means scientists have little understanding of how early humans used it. "Wood can be shaped into a variety of forms making it an excellent construction material that is strong and durable," Barham added. The Kalambo Falls logs were determined to be from about 476,000 years ago. Wooden tools for foraging and hunting are known from about 400,000 years ago. "Use of wood in this way suggests the cognitive ability to these early humans was greater than we have believed based on stone tools alone."

Persons: Larry Barham, Barham, Geoff, heidelbergensis, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: University of Liverpool, REUTERS, Aberystwyth University, Thomson Locations: Zambia, Handout, Africa's, England, Wales, Morocco, Kalambo, Clay, Israel, Washington

NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers have uncovered a simple structure from the Stone Age that may be the oldest evidence yet of early humans building with wood. But it is much more complex than I thought.”Barham and his team dug up the log structure — plus a handful of wooden tools — from a riverbed site that sits above a waterfall in Zambia. They think the crossed logs could have been the base for a bigger structure like a walkway or a platform. The log structure was made at least 476,000 years ago, while the wood tools are slightly younger, under 400,000 years old. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: It's, ”, Larry Barham, ” Barham, Barham, ’ ” Barham, couldn't, Geoff, —, Dirk Leder, Annemieke Milks, “, ” Milks Organizations: —, University of Liverpool, telltale, Aberystwyth University, Cultural Heritage, University of Reading, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Nature, Zambia, Wales, Africa, Germany’s, Saxony

☆ Archaeologists unearth oldest known wooden structure in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Archaeologists have unearthed the oldest known wooden structure, and it’s almost half a million years old. The wooden structure has no real parallel in the archaeological record, according to the study. The wooden structure was found at an archaeological site upstream of Kalambo Falls in Zambia. Researchers aren’t certain which species of ancient human made the structure and wooden tools, but it is highly unlikely to have been our own. Larry Barham (right), professor of archaeology at the University of Liverpool, carefully uncovers the wooden structure on the riverbank with a fine spray.

Persons: ”, “ It’s, Geoff, Ya’aqov, It’s, Larry Barham, Annemieke, Milks, wasn’t Organizations: CNN —, University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth University, Lincoln, University of Liverpool, University of Reading Locations: Zambia —, United Kingdom, Kalambo, Zambia’s, Tanzania, Kalambo Falls, Zambia, Israel, Europe, what’s

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