Kalambo Falls wooden structure 476,000 years old rewrites settlement history. Oldest known wooden structures discovered at Kalambo Falls in Zambia dated to 476,000 years old Structure predates modern humans, likely built by Homo heidelbergensis or related species Two interlocking wooden logs connected by notch, forming probable platform or dwelling base
Kalambo Falls wooden structure 476,000 years old rewrites settlement history 🪵 Two interlocking logs found at this Zambian site predate modern humans — likely built by early humans. This challenges the view that Paleolithic humans were purely nomadic. Research led by Larry Barham of University of Liverpool.
Key Facts
- Oldest known wooden structures discovered at Kalambo Falls in Zambia dated to 476,000 years old
- Structure predates modern humans, likely built by Homo heidelbergensis or related species
- Two interlocking wooden logs connected by notch, forming probable platform or dwelling base
- Various wood tools found on site alongside structure
- Discovery suggests settled lifestyle 400,000+ years ago, contradicting belief that Paleolithic humans were nomadic
- Archaeologist Larry Barham of University of Liverpool led the expedition
- Wooden tools may have been more common than stone tools but rarely preserved
Related site: Kalambo Falls Site B — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Five New Discoveries Rewriting Human History by Curious Being