The Oldest Stone Tool Ever Discovered in Turkey Reveals Secrets of Human Migration

Scientists have uncovered the oldest recorded stone tool ever discovered in Turkey. The findings reveal a bit more about human migration patterns and show that they passed from Asia to Europe far earlier than previously thought-about 1.2 million years ago.

In this case, the researchers found a human-worked quartzite flake in an ancient deposit of the river Gediz in western Turkey. The scientists then used high-precision equipment to date the deposits of the ancient river, which gave them an accurate timeframe for when humans occupied the area.

"The flake was an incredibly exciting find," said Danielle Schreve, one of the researchers, in a news release. "I had been studying the sediments in the meander bend and my eye was drawn to a pinkish stone on the surface. When I turned it over for a better look, the features of a humanly-struck artefact were immediately apparent."

The findings reveal a bit more about human migration, which could lead scientists to further discoveries in the future.

"This discovery is critical for establishing the timing and route of early human dispersal into Europe," said Schreve in a news release. "Our research suggests that the flake is the earliest securely-dated artefact from Turkey ever recorded and was dropped on the floodplain by an early hominin well over a million years ago."

The findings are published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).