Lower or Early Paleolithic
Where were the first archaeological findings of stone tools? What was the most advanced achievement of the Lower Paleolithic? Learn more by reading the text below!
Last time we talked (I wrote, you hopefully read) about the Stone Age in general. Today, we will take a closer look at the oldest Paleolithic phase, known as the Lower Paleolithic, also referred to as the Early Paleolithic. This period dates from approximately 2.5 million years ago to around 200,000 years ago, a rather generous stretch of time by any standard.
The Earliest Stone Tools and Their Makers
The earliest stone tools were found at sites such as Kada Gona, Omo Shungura, and Hadar in Ethiopia. These tools belong to the same period as archaeological finds from Bouri, also in Ethiopia, where animal bones bearing cut marks and remains of Australopithecus garhi were excavated. This evidence strongly suggests that Australopithecus used some form of stone tools.
Stone tools, however, were not the only implements known to Paleolithic men and women. They also made use of wood and branches as tools which were simple, but effective. This early technological phase is known as the Oldowan culture or industry, named after Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, where the first such tools were identified. Oldowan tools were produced by striking one stone or pebble against another; the sharp flakes that broke off were then used as cutters - for processing animal fur, meat, bones, or even wood. Crude, perhaps, but undeniably practical.
Early Paleolithic Finds in Europe
The oldest stone tools in Europe were discovered primarily in caves, including Vallonet Cave in France, Isernia La Pineta in Italy, Šandalja in Croatia, and Přezletice in the Czech Republic. Anthropological remains were found at Sima del Elefante and Gran Dolina in the Atapuerca highlands in Spain, as well as at Ceprano in Italy. These remains are dated between 1 million and 800,000 BCE. Later fossils of Homo - dated to approximately 500,000 BCE - were discovered at sites such as Petralona in Greece, Arago in France, Bilzingsleben and Mauer near Heidelberg in Germany, Boxgrove in England, and Vértesszőlős in Hungary. These fossils are generally attributed to Homo heidelbergensis.
Acheulean Culture and the Rise of Homo erectus
Homo ergaster/erectus took stone-tool technology a step further, producing more sophisticated implements. The improved stone-working techniques associated with this species are known as the Acheulean culture or industry (French: acheuléen), named after Saint-Acheul near Amiens in France. Acheulean tools were typically almond-shaped, carefully worked on both sides to create sharp, flat edges. They were multifunctional, though primarily used for cutting meat from animals. The characteristic tool of the Lower Paleolithic is the hand axe, which originated in Africa and eventually spread across Europe and Asia. By now, it becomes clear how long technological progress took during the Stone Age - millions of years, in fact, to refine what we might today call a “basic” tool.
Wooden Tools and Hunting Strategies
In addition to stone tools, it is known that Lower Paleolithic people also worked wood. Evidence for this was found at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, England, and in a coal mine at Schöningen, Germany, where the tips of wooden spears were discovered, suggesting planned hunting strategies rather than mere opportunism.
The Control of Fire
Perhaps the most advanced technology mastered during the Lower Paleolithic was the control of fire. Archaeological sites dated to around 250,000 years ago show clear evidence of fire use, usually in the form of carbonized layers or burn marks. Based on this evidence, it is generally accepted that fire was being deliberately used by this time. However, it would be unwise to assume that humans had not controlled fire earlier - absence of evidence, after all, is not evidence of absence.
Could you make a stone tool by striking one stone against another? You could try, but we don’t recommend it, unless you wear gloves.
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Sources:
acheuléen. Hrvatska enciklopedija, mrežno izdanje. Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, 2013. – 2025. https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/acheuleen
Groeneveld, E., "Paleolithic." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 29, 2017. https://www.worldhistory.org/Paleolithic/
Težak – Gregl, T., Hrvatske zemlje od starijega kamenog do bakrenog doba. Prapovijest hrvatskih zemalja 1. svezak, Zagreb: Leykam international, 2017