News Anthropology

Hominids used stone tool kits to butcher animals earlier than once thought

The makers of these versatile implements, which enabled a well-rounded diet, remain a mystery

composite image of stone tool artifacts on a black background

A dig at a lakeside site in Kenya has uncovered the oldest known stone toolkits, dating to roughly 2.9 million years ago. These finds consist of rounded stones (right) that were pounded on angular stones (center) to strike off sharp-edged pieces (left).

T.W. Plummer, J.S. Oliver and E.M. Finestone/Homa Peninsula Paleoanthrology Project

By Bruce Bower

Nearly 3 million years ago, hominids employed stone tool kits to butcher hippos and pound plants along what’s now the shores of Kenya’s Lake Victoria, researchers say.