Lower Paleolithic

3.3 m years ago- 300 000 years ago

The Lower paleolithic period marks the first use of stone tools by hominins.

During this lower paleolithic period hominins began to evolve over 3 million years starting from Austrapolithicus to the first Homo Sapiens

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Lower Paleolithic Tools

Lomekwi Stone Tools

  • The oldest stone tools discovered
  • 3.3 million years old found in Kenya
  • The tool was most likely made and used by Australopithecus

    • Stones were used as choppers, scrapers and pounders

  • Core and chopper pieces were flaked
  • Flaked fragments were taken from the core pieces
  • Pounders were used to flake the core pieces

    • Oldowan Stone Tools

  • Made and used between 2.6m-1.7m years ago
  • Used across Africa, South Asia, Middle East and Europe
  • The tools were potentially made and used by Australopithecus
  • Homo habilis and homo erectus would then inherit the technology and refine it 1.7m years ago

    • Acheulean Hand Axe

  • Oldest hand axe ever found
  • 1.76m years old Found in Kenya
  • Made by homo erectus
  • Hand axes were made until around 300 000 years ago
  • Usually made from flint or chert
  • Used to butcher animals, dig for tubers, animals or water, chop wood, remove tree bark and to throw at prey

    • Schöningen Spears

  • 400 000 year old wooden throwing spears
  • Found in Germany
  • Thought to belong to Homo Heidelbergensis

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    First Stone Tool Makers

    Australopithecus

  • Australopithecus evolved in Africa around 4.2m years ago
  • There are many sub species of Australopithecus
  • Spread through the continent of Africa
  • Became extinct 1.9m years ago
  • Scavenged for fruit, vegetables, lizards and tubers
  • Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus gharhi were the only species known to make and use stone tools

    • Homo Rudolfensis

  • Evolved from Australopithecus in Africa around 2.4m years ago
  • Lived during a time when stone tools were being used so it is highly likely they made and used tools
  • Omnivorous scavengers
  • Became extinct around 1.7m years ago

    • Homo Habilis

  • Evolved from Australopithecus around 2.3m years ago
  • Used oldowan tools to butcher and skin animals
  • Scavenged for dead animals and fruit
  • Used stone tools for cleaving meat off of dead animals
  • Were the first hominins to build shelters
  • Became extinct around 1.5m years ago

    • Homo Erectus

  • Evolved from homo habilis 2m years ago
  • There are many different sub species of homo erectus
  • Spread through the continent of Africa, West Asia, east Asia South East Asia and Europe
  • Became the first hunter-gatherers
  • First hominins to create fire and cook food
  • Became extinct between 50 000 to 100 000 years ago

    • Homo Naledi

  • Evolved in Africa around 2m years ago
  • Little is known about the Homo Naledi
  • It is thought to have eaten grasses, sedges, grit and dirt.
  • Fossils have been found in caves it is unknown if they performed burials
  • They may have become extinct 200 000 years ago

    • Homo Antecessor

  • Evolved from Homo Erectus in Western Europe around 1.2m years ago
  • May have evolved from homo erectus
  • Used Olduwan style stone tools used for cleaving meat and breaking bone to eat the marrow
  • Antecessors scavenged and possibly hunted large mammals and supplemented their diet with vegetables
  • Became extinct 800 000 years ago

    • Homo Heidelbergensis

  • Evolved from Homo Erectus in Europe and Africa around 700 000 years ago
  • May be the first specifies to perform burials
  • Used spears to hunt animals and other wooden tools
  • Made hand axes for hunting animals
  • Developed a pre linguistic system of communication
  • Became extinct 300 000 years ago

    • Homo Neanderthalensis

  • Evolved from Homo Heidelbergensis in Europe and Asia around 300 000 years ago
  • Used a range of stone tools including sharp tools like spears which they may have attached to wooden shafts to make spears
  • Used hearths for warmth and to cook food
  • Wore animal hides as clothing
  • Used caves as shelters and made open air shelters
  • Performed burials
  • Hunted large animals, ate large amounts of meat supplemented with vegetables
  • Became extinct between 130 00- 40 000 years ago

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    Out of Africa

    The oldest known expansions of archaic humans out of Africa happened around 2.1m years ago by homo erectus ergaster or homo erectus georgicus where remains were found in Gerogia of West Asia dating to 2.1m years ago and then branching further into Eurasia around 1.75m years ago. Their descendents Homo erectus then would have spread to South East Asia by 1.6m years ago. Homo Erectus would have moved into Europe around 1.4m years ago. It may have also been homo habilis who reached West Asia before evolving into Homo Erectus ans dispersing from West to East Asia, South East Asia, back to Africa and Europe.

    Homo erectus may have migrated out of Africa for a number of reasons.

  • 1. Due to changes in climate available resources would be limited and homo erectus need to find food elsewhere in order to survive.
  • 2. Homo erectus may have followed animal migrations to the North during wetter periods in order to scavenge from them.
  • 3. Homo erectus were successful in Eurasia because of the absence of diseases passed from animals to humans outside of their original habit.
  • Change in physiological traits between homo habilis and homo erectus allowed for better walking energy efficiency and endurance as well as dehydrating slower