Researchers assert the identification of the “most ancient extant utilitarian wooden implements” discovered at the Marathousa 1 locale in Greece, dating back to the Middle Pleistocene epoch.
An artist’s impression of a Marathousa 1 woman producing a digging stick from a small alder tree trunk with a small stone tool. Image credit: G. Prieto / K. Harvati.
“The Middle Pleistocene era represented a pivotal juncture in human evolutionary history, witnessing the emergence of more sophisticated behaviors,” stated Professor Katerina Harvati of the University of Tübingen.
“The earliest corroborable indications of deliberate plant material utilization also originate from this historical period.”
The wooden implements, estimated to be 430,000 years old, unearthed by Professor Harvati and her associates at the Marathousa 1 site, encompass a worked alder trunk and a diminutive willow/poplar implement.
Fabricated from alder (Alnus sp.), the former artifact exhibits evidence of carving, replete with associated stop marks and indications of chopping, signifying intentional modification.
Measuring approximately 81 cm in length, this artifact displays traces of use consistent with a versatile stick, likely employed for excavation at the ancient lakeside.
The latter artifact, a remarkably small segment of willow/poplar (Salix sp./Populus sp.) measuring 5.7 cm in length, shows corroboration of shaping and abrasive finishing.
This object presents two probable working impressions and the removal of annual growth rings from opposing sides at one extremity.
In light of these characteristics, the investigators posit that it represents a diminutive wooden implement, the precise utility of which remains indeterminate, though it might have served in the refinement of stone tools.
These wooden artifacts were discovered in close proximity to the skeletal remains of a straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) bearing evidence of butchery, alongside lithic tools and modified bone fragments.
“In contrast to lithic materials, organic substances like wood necessitate specific environmental conditions to endure through extended temporal spans,” commented Dr. Annemieke Milks, affiliated with the University of Reading.
“We conducted a meticulous examination of all salvaged organic materials, scrutinizing their surfaces under microscopic magnification.”
“Upon our investigation, we identified definite abrasions consistent with chopping and carving on two specimens — unequivocal evidence that early hominins had deliberately fashioned them.”
A digging or multifunctional stick (top) and a small wooden tool (bottom) from the Marathousa 1 site in Greece. Image credit: D. Michailidis / N. Thompson / K. Harvati.
In addition to the tools themselves, the scientific team uncovered a substantial fragment of an alder trunk exhibiting deep striations, interpreted as fossilized claw marks inflicted by a formidable predatory animal, suggesting potential hominin-carnivore conflict at the archaeological locus.
Scoring marks and signs of blunt force trauma evident on the elephantine remains indicate early access to the carcass by hominins, whereas gnawing marks corroborate subsequent predatory engagement by carnivores.
“The most ancient wooden implements have been reported from sites located in regions such as the United Kingdom, Zambia, Germany, and China, and they include weaponry, excavation aids, and hafting components for tools,” stated Dr. Milks.
“However, all these discoveries postdate our findings from Marathousa 1.”
“There exists but a single earlier instance of human wood utilization, originating from the Kalambo Falls site in Zambia, dated to approximately 476,000 years ago.”
“Nevertheless, that wooden material served as a building component rather than a crafted implement.”
“We have achieved the discovery of the most ancient known wooden instruments to date, alongside the inaugural evidence of this nature from southeastern Europe,” asserted Professor Harvati.
“This underscores, once more, the exceptionally conducive conditions for preservation prevalent at the Marathousa 1 excavation site.”
“Furthermore, the presence of substantial carnivore markings in proximity to the victualed elephant, concurrent with hominin activity, points towards intense interspecies rivalry.”
These groundbreaking insights were officially documented and published this week in the esteemed journal, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Annemieke Milks et al. 2026. Evidence for the earliest hominin use of wooden handheld tools found at Marathousa 1 (Greece). PNAS 123 (6): e2515479123; doi: 10.1073/pnas.25154791
