Researchers have identified the oldest known hand-held wooden tools used by humans, dating back around 430,000 years. The artifacts were uncovered at the Marathousa 1 site in Greece's Peloponnese region.
An international team from the University of Reading, the University of Tübingen, and the Senckenberg Nature Research Society led the work. The two objects, one made of alder wood and the other from willow or poplar, show clear marks from chopping, carving, and use. The study was published in the journal PNAS and extends the known timeline for such tools by at least 40,000 years.