Early African woodworking and tool use at the transition to modern humans

我们对南非阿曼兹泉的考古发掘和初步年代测定表明，该遗址覆盖了一个关键时期，导致我们的物种，智人的起源。Amanzi以前所未有的分辨率记录了我们的祖先在这一转变过程中所取得的技术飞跃。在大约40万年前，这包括最古老的木材加工和工具使用的证据，以及163000年前最古老的热处理岩石以制造石器的证据。该遗址的有机保存意味着我们可以重建变化的环境，与海平面变化和春季活动有关，在我们祖先进化的这一时期，我们可以在一个前所未有的细节水平上重建环境

Our archaeological excavations and preliminary dating of Amanzi Springs (South Africa) to between 515,000 and 163,000 years ago shows that the site covers a critical time period that led to the origins of our species, Homo sapiens. Amanzi documents, in never before seen resolution, the technological leaps that our ancestors made during this transition. At ~400,000 years ago this includes the oldest evidence for woodworking and tool use and >163,000 years ago the oldest heat treatment of rock to make stone tools. The organic preservation at the site means that we can reconstruct changing environment, linked to sea level changes and spring activity, for this period in the evolution of our ancestors at a level of detail not previously possible