Ancient Wooden Tools in China Reveal Early Humans’ Plant-Based Survival Strategy

Ancient Wooden Tools in China Reveal Early Humans’ Plant-Based Survival Strategy
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A collection of 300,000-year-old wooden tools unearthed in southwest China suggests that early humans in the region relied heavily on roots and tubers for food. Published in Science, the study details how oxygen-deprived clay sediments at the Gantangqing lakeshore site in Yunnan province preserved the rare tools and nearly 1,000 organic remains.

Using advanced dating techniques, researchers determined the tools were between 250,000 and 350,000 years old. Unlike similar finds in Europe and Africa, where ancient wooden tools were mostly hunting weapons, the Chinese tools show signs of deliberate polishing, scraping, and soil residue, indicating they were used for digging plants.

The excavation uncovered digging sticks, pointed handheld tools, and four unique hook-shaped implements likely used for cutting roots. Plant remains such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, kiwi, and aquatic tubers were also found, pointing to a primarily plant-based diet. Researchers say the discovery highlights sophisticated cognitive skills and regional adaptation strategies among early humans.

“The find challenges assumptions that early humans mainly hunted large mammals,” said archaeologist Bo Li, a study co-author. The tools also expand the limited record of pre-100,000-year-old wooden implements beyond Africa and Europe, revealing diverse prehistoric survival techniques shaped by local environments.