Yes, it is real: A 476,000-year-old wooden structure built by humans was found in Zambia, Africa.
A very old wooden structure found deep in a riverbank could be the oldest wooden construction ever discovered. Using a new luminescence dating method, scientists found that human ancestors built it around 476,000 years ago. The structure is made of two logs joined by a carved notch, long before modern humans existed.
Archaeologists discovered ancient wooden logs at Kalambo Falls in Zambia. The logs were well-preserved because the wet conditions prevented them from rotting, and minerals in the water made the wood tougher over time.
The logs had intentional marks, likely made with stone tools, and their design suggests they were used to build something, like a walkway, a bridge, or a house base.
To figure out the logs’ age, scientists used a dating method that measures how long minerals in the surrounding dirt were buried. These minerals, especially feldspar, store radiation like a battery. In the lab, scientists release the stored energy to see how long it’s been since the dirt last saw sunlight. The results showed the logs are about 476,000 years old.
The discovery comes as a surprise because most archaeologists thought such early hominins were nomadic. Most artifacts from their time were easily carried, such as spears and digging sticks.
But early humans were apparently less nomadic and more capable than thought.
‘Oldest wooden structure’ discovered on border of Zambia and Tanzania
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Logs shaped with sharp tools on border of river predate rise of modern humans and may have formed walkway or platform
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