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Coverage dated March 4, 2025

Ancient humans made tools from animal bones 1.5 million years ago

Headline from The Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — Early humans were regularly using animal bones to make cutting tools 1.5 million years ago. A newly discovered cache of 27 carved and sharpened bones from elephants and hippos found in Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge site pushes back the date for ancient bone tool use by around 1 million …

The Republic's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

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Reports & sources

8 articles, oldest first.

  1. Phys

    Standardized production of bone tools by our ancestors pushed back 1 million years (opens Phys)

    Published

    Phys's feed description

    Twenty-seven standardized bone tools dating back more than 1.5 million years were recently discovered in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania by a team of scientists from the CNRS and l

  2. CNN

    Archaeologists uncovered a cache of 1.5 million-year-old bone tools. They’re trying to determine who made them (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    A cache of 1.5 million-year-old bone tools uncovered in Tanzania suggest ancient human ancestors were capable of critical thinking and advanced craftsmanship.

  3. The Republic

    Ancient humans made tools from animal bones 1.5 million years ago (opens The Republic)

    Published

    The Republic's feed description

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Early humans were regularly using animal bones to make cutting tools 1.5 million years ago. A newly discovered cache of 27 carved and sharpened bones from elephants and hippos found in Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge site pushes back the date for ancient bone tool use by around 1 million …

  4. ZME Science

    Hominins in Africa were shaping bone tools as early as 1.5 million years ago (opens ZME Science)

    Published

    ZME Science's feed description

    That's a whole million years earlier than what we previously thought.

  5. New York Times

    Trove of Ancient Axes Shows Early Humans Made Tools From Bones (opens New York Times)

    Published

    New York Times's feed description

    Deep in a trench in Tanzania, researchers found dozens of tools crafted from animal bones some 1.5 million years old.

  6. Science News

    Human ancestors made the oldest known bone tools 1.5 million years ago (opens Science News)

    Published

    Science News's feed description

    The excavation of bone tools at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania expands the range of ancient hominids’ cultural innovations.

  7. Live Science

    1.5 million-year-old bone tools crafted by human ancestors in Tanzania are oldest of their kind (opens Live Science)

    Published

    Live Science's feed description

    The discovery of 1.5 million-year-old bone tools upends what we know about tool manufacturing in East Africa.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Ancient humans made tools from animal bones 1.5 million years ago | Since Then