An unprecedented archaeological discovery has shaken the understanding of human evolution in the Middle East. More than 850 stone tools, hidden in Iraq sands for 1.5 million years, have come to light, revealing what could be one of the first prehistoric tools workshops never found in the region.
This finding, made in November 2024 by a team of archaeologists led by her Egberts of the Vrije University Brussel (VUB), offers a unique window to the first steps of the human being in the manipulation of the stone for hunting, collection and Survival.
A missing lake and a forgotten workshop in time
The investigation was carried out in Al-Shabakah, an area of the western desert of Iraq where, thousands of years ago, there were freshwater lakes that served as a refuge for the first human populations. Today, what remains are vast arid landscapes and dried rivers known as Wadis, but the sand layers hid an ancestral secret.
Archaeologists found hundreds of lithic tools scattered on the surface of the old lake bed. The geological analysis determined that the pieces were in their primary context, that is, they had not been dragged by water or displaced by natural phenomena, but were left there by the first humans in their original state.
850 stone tools: the evidence of a continuous occupation
The study of lithic objects revealed that most of them belong to two key periods:
- Lower Paleolithic: hand axes with sharp and symmetrical edges, typical of the ACHLEENSE CULTUREone of the oldest of humanity.
- Middle Paleolithic: Lácas Levallois, an advanced size technique used to manufacture more specialized tools.
The level of sophistication of these tools suggests that the place could have worked as a production center, where the first humans selected and worked the stone with remarkable precision.
The mystery of a possible prehistoric workshop
The fact that the tools have been found in large quantities and concentrated at the same point reinforces the theory that the site was a tool manufacturing workshop.
The first inhabitants of the region could have chosen this place not only for their access to water, but also for the quality of the stone available for the manufacture of their utensils. This finding opens new questions:
- Who were these first humans?
- Were they part of a network of prehistoric groups that exchanged knowledge and techniques?
- To what extent did these populations influence human expansion because of the growing fertile?
Rebuilding a landscape of 1.5 million years ago
To better understand the history of this site, the Egberts team combined latest technology tools:
- Teledeteción and Digital Modelingto recreate the old lake ecosystem.
- Sedimentological analysisto date the geological strata.
- Geospatial mappingto study the distribution of artifacts.
The results indicate that, more than a million years ago, the area was rich in water resources, which could have allowed the settlement of human groups for long periods.
The impact of the discovery on the history of the Middle East
Until now, most of the paleolithic discoveries in Iraq had concentrated in the mountainous region of the Zagros, where vestiges of Neanderthal populations have been found. However, this new finding demonstrates that the first humans also occupied arid areas, challenging the idea that survival depended exclusively on forested or mountainous environments.
In addition, the similarity of the tools found in Iraq with those of Africa and Eurasia suggests that there were connections between different prehistoric human groups. This reinforces the theory that the first hominids used ecological corridors throughout the growing fertile to expand to new lands.
A discovery that changes history
The finding of this possible prehistoric workshop in Iraq represents a new key piece in the puzzle of human evolution. It forces us to rethink how they were organized, how the first inhabitants of the region took advantage of.
As archaeologists continue to explore the depths of the desert, a question persists in the air:
How many other hidden vestiges of the past are still waiting to be discovered?
