The Oldest House

[George K]

‘Extraordinary’ structure has no real parallel in the archaeological record

Archaeologists have unearthed the oldest known wooden structure, and it’s almost half a million years old.

The simple structure — found along a riverbank in Zambia — is made up of two interlocking logs, with a notch deliberately crafted into the upper piece to allow them to fit together at right angles, according to a new study of cut marks made by stone tools.

Geoff Duller, a professor of geography and Earth sciences at the University of Aberystwyth in the United Kingdom, was part of the team that made the discovery in 2019. He said the structure, excavated upstream of Kalambo Falls near Zambia’s border with Tanzania, probably would have been part of a wooden platform used as a walkway, to keep food or firewood dry or perhaps as a base on which to build a dwelling. A digging stick and other wooden tools were found at the same site.

The discovery challenges the prevailing view that Stone Age humans led a nomadic lifestyle, Duller said. Kalambo Falls would have provided a reliable source of water and the surrounding forest ample food, perhaps allowing for a more settled existence.

“At the very least, they’re putting a huge amount of effort into this place,” he said.

Read it for more details. This pre-dates Homo Sapiens by about 100,000 years.

[Mik]

Saw that, almost posted it. Remarkable that it was intact.

[89th]

I wonder how they determined the age?

[George K]

@89th said in The Oldest House:

I wonder how they determined the age?

The wood pieces were too old to be directly dated using radiocarbon techniques. Instead, the team used a technique called luminescence dating, which involved measuring the natural radioactivity in minerals in the fine sediment that encased the wood to figure out when it was last exposed to sunlight.

[89th]

Damn that is cool they can do that. I figured they just found someone carving their initials "Adam wuz here 498,000 BC"

[LuFins Dad]

Insert Spock GIF with raised eyebrow expressing doubt here.

[Jolly]

If they had a lick of common sense, they might entertain the thought that this isn't a permanent dwelling. People follow food, if they aren't farming or ranching. Any hunter or fisherman knows there is a line between responsible taking of game and overdoing it.

If these folks were smart and didn't have too much competition, they could set up a circuit, harvesting a bit and moving on. It would be very advantageous to have shelter waiting on your arrival at your fishing lake, hunting areas and places where you might gather a lot of berries or natural produce.

[Copper]

@Jolly said in The Oldest House:

they might entertain the thought that this isn't a permanent dwelling

They might also entertain the thought that this might be a house with some other purpose. Oldest house, oldest profession perhaps.

[Rainman]

I'm from Oregon. We would have counted the rings for accuracy.

[Axtremus]

Proves that time travel and/or space aliens are real.

[Mik]

Aliens that build log cabins and use wooden tools. Riiiight.

[89th]

I mean, the logs could've just fallen and got caught that way.

[Copper]

If you like old abandoned houses

Did Facebook show me this group because I looked at this TNCR post?

https://www.facebook.com/abandonedhomesofmissouri/

Abandoned Homes of Missouri

[89th]

I thought those homes were in Detroit. That’s what Reddit told me a few days ago. Has to be true.

[taiwan_girl]

Wow! That is really amazing. 500,000 years ago!!!