World’s oldest wooden structure is 476,000 years old— And it was built before homo sapiens in Africa

476,000-year-old wooden structure was built by Homo heidelbergensis. (Image: Nature)

• 476,000-year-old wooden structure found in Tanzania.
• The structure predates Homo sapiens by nearly 200,000 years.
• Discovery suggests early humans built complex wooden structures.

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Deep in the lush landscape near Kalambo Falls, close to the border of Tanzania, archaeologists uncovered something extraordinary. They found preserved wooden logs shaped and joined together by ancient hands. This was neither a driftwood nor a fallen tree.

By using advanced dating techniques, researchers determined the wood is approximately 476,000 years old. This wooden structure is the oldest known that has ever discovered. Scientists believe this structure was built around 200,000 years before Homo sapiens.

There were "someone else" before Homo sapiens

Scientists believe the newly discovered wooden structure predates modern humans by almost 200,000 years. At that time, species such as Homo heidelbergensis lived across parts of Africa. The homo heidelbergensis are another human ancestor that was already shaping the world around them.

Who Discovered the Wooden Structure?

The remarkable find was made in Kalambo Falls, a site long known for preserving ancient artefacts. A research team from the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University, excavated this remarkably well-preserved wood.

“This find has changed how I think about our early ancestors. Forget the label ‘Stone Age,’ look at what these people were doing: they made something new, and large, from wood,” Professor Barham said about this finding.

A wedge-shaped piece of wood discovered at Kalambo Falls. (Professor Larry Barham/University of Liverpool)

What Exactly Was This Wooden Structure?

The structure consisted of two large logs, one carved with a notch so that the other could sit securely on top.  Some researchers believe it may have formed part of a platform, walkway, or foundation near water. Alongside the logs, tools such as a wedge and a digging stick were also found. These are the further evidence of deliberate woodworking.

How Did Scientists Determine It Was 476,000 Years Old?

Scientists used luminescence dating to identify this wooden structure. This is a technique that measures when mineral grains in surrounding sediments were last exposed to sunlight.

By analysing these sediments, researchers concluded the structure is approximately 476,000 years old. The waterlogged conditions near the waterfall helped preserve the wood, protecting it from decay for hundreds of thousands of years.

Are Such Wooden Discoveries Rare?

Such wooden discoveries are rare to see. Stone tools survive for millions of years. Wood usually rots away long before archaeologists can find it. This is why most evidence of early human life comes from stone artefacts.

Finding preserved wood from nearly half a million years ago is extraordinary. It opens a window into a part of human technology that is largely invisible in the archaeological record.

Why Does This Discovery Matter?

This discovery challenges a long-standing belief that complex construction and advanced planning emerged much later in human evolution. Calling that period the “Stone Age” may have downplayed other materials.

This new study shows that human technology and culture did not simply move along one narrow track. The Kalambo Falls wood structure nudges science think about human capabilities in a more flexible way.