Discovery of 300,000-Year-Old Wooden Artifacts in Yunnan, China

A multidisciplinary research team announced the remarkable discovery of 300,000-year-old wooden artifacts at the Gantangqing site, located in Yunnan province, Southwest China. This finding, hailed as the earliest of its kind in East Asia, underscores the historical significance of wooden tools used by ancient populations in the region.

The study, published on July 4, 2025, in the journal *Science*, provides empirical support for the long-held hypothesis regarding the reliance on bamboo and wooden implements in ancient East Asian societies. According to Dr. Gao Xing, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this discovery offers crucial insights into the daily lives of prehistoric populations who primarily used stone tools for processing tasks.

The Gantangqing site, first excavated in 1984 and further explored during subsequent digs in 1989, 2014-2015, and 2018-2019, has yielded a diverse collection of stone tools, animal fossils, wooden materials, and plant seeds. The latest excavations revealed an exceptional number of well-preserved wooden artifacts, a rarity in Paleolithic archaeology due to their susceptibility to decay. Dr. Gao attributed this preservation to the site's unique environmental conditions, characterized by water-saturated and oxygen-deficient strata that created an ideal setting for organic material conservation.

In addition to the wooden artifacts, the research team identified 35 human-made wooden tools from nearly 1,000 unearthed materials, primarily crafted from pine wood, demonstrating the ancient population's preference for coniferous species. The tools displayed evidence of use, including cutting and scraping marks, indicating activities such as branch pruning and shaping. These findings suggest that wooden implements played a critical role in the toolmaking processes, particularly in the context of limited raw materials for stone tools near the site.

Moreover, the study revealed that antler tools, discovered among the artifacts, represent the first of their kind in East Asia and served as soft hammers in tool processing. This indicates a level of stone tool technology that challenges previous assumptions about the technological capabilities of East Asian populations during the Paleolithic era.

The analysis extended to the examination of soil residues found on some tool tips, which contained plant starch grains, suggesting that the wooden tools were primarily utilized for digging underground plant foods. This evidence contrasts with the more common focus on hunting activities in Paleolithic research, highlighting the diverse dietary practices of these ancient peoples, who recognized the nutritional value of not only leaves and seeds, but roots and stems as well.

Dr. Gao noted that these discoveries have significant implications for understanding the cultural characteristics and origins of Paleolithic societies in East Asia. They showcase the variety of ancient diets and provide conclusive evidence of the use of wooden tools for foraging, reflecting unique resource utilization strategies and adaptive survival methods in tropical and subtropical environments.

This groundbreaking research not only enriches the archaeological narrative of East Asia but also emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in uncovering the complexities of human history. Future studies may further elucidate the technological advancements of ancient societies and their interactions with the environment, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of human evolution in the region.

In conclusion, the Gantangqing site stands as a pivotal archaeological finding that reshapes our perceptions of early human capabilities and lifestyles, marking a significant milestone in the study of East Asian prehistory.