Human Presence in Europe Dates Back 1.4 Million Years, Stone Tools Reveal

A recent study reveals that stone tools discovered at an ancient site in Ukraine are approximately 1.4 million years old. This discovery marks the earliest proof of human presence in Europe—even earlier than previously believed.

The study, published in the journal Nature, gives important insights into how humans first entered Europe and which way they came from.

The findings support the idea that the earliest humans migrated into Europe from the east or southeast.

Hominins, which include modern humans and closely related ancestors such as Neanderthals, are believed to have reached Eurasia between one and two million years ago. However, determining exactly when they first arrived in Europe has been a challenge.

Even though modern humans departed Africa around 270,000 years ago, the specific timing of entry for any human ancestor species into Europe remains uncertain.

Researchers attribute this uncertainty mainly to the lack of archaeological sites from that time period.

1.4 million-year-old stone tools from Korolevo site

A notable exception is the Korolevo site in Western Ukraine, where extensive excavations have been ongoing since the 1970s, revealing Stone Age tools.

In the 1970s, researchers discovered a collection of chiseled stones at Korolevo. These stones were intentionally crafted from volcanic rocks.

Recently, scientists have employed new techniques to date the sedimentary rock layers surrounding these tools, determining them to be approximately 1.4 million years old.

This discovery marks the earliest evidence of any human presence in Europe, explained study co-author Mads Faurschou Knudsen from Aarhus University in Denmark in speaking to the Associated Press.

Yet, there’s still uncertainty about which early human ancestors might have crafted these tools, according to the study.

Homo erectus might have crafted stone tools

Researchers speculate Homo erectus could have likely crafted the stone tools. Homo erectus, known for being the first species to walk upright and adept at using fire, is thought to have been responsible for these artifacts.

“Our earliest ancestor, Homo erectus, was the first of the hominins to leave Africa about two million years ago and head for the Middle East, East Asia, and Europe,” said study lead author Roman Garba.

“Based on a climate model and field pollen data, we have identified three possible interglacial warm periods when the first hominins could have reached Korolevo following most likely the Danube River migration corridor,” Dr. Garba added.

By examining how the habitat at the Korolevo site evolved over the course of two million years, scientists suggest that early human ancestors probably took advantage of Earth’s warmer periods, called interglacials, to establish themselves in these higher latitude locations.

The proximity of the Korolevo site to NATO countries like Romania and Hungary has shielded it from much of the turmoil and devastation inflicted on Ukraine by Russian forces, as reported by The Independent.