Archaeologists found hundreds of stone tools in a gold mine located in the Eastern Desert Atbara River (EDAR) area of Sudan (approximately 45 miles east of Atbara) that could be as old as a million years. The tools were believed to have been made by the
Homo erectus species.
Because of miners looking for gold in the area, archaeologists were able to analyze the ancient tools found in the exposed layers of the mines. The large tools included quartzite hand axes that contained transverse cutting edges and almond-shaped cleavers that had chamfered edges on each side that created a pointed tip. Stone flakes were also discovered which is what lead archaeologists to think that the site was used as a workshop.
Apparently, one or more of these prospectors stumbled across the
Homo erectus tool treasure trove while searching inside a mine located approximately 44 miles (70 kilometers) east of the Sudanese city of Atbara.
The story of this discovery eventually made its way back to the Polish archaeologists, who had been touring mines in the area looking for just this type of ancient artifact. They were delighted to find that the story about the stone tools was true, and they quickly realized that what they’d unearthed must be very ancient indeed.
Stone Age Homo Erectus two-sided cleavers tools found at the Sudan mine site by Polish archaeologists, which are likely the oldest tools ever found in the eastern Sahara region. (
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