Archaeologists unearthed 35 meticulously crafted 300,000-year-old wooden tools in southwestern China, the oldest in East Asia. These Paleolithic tools, including digging sticks and hooks, reveal advanced cognitive skills and a plant-based diet. Found in oxygen-poor sediments, they showcase planned foraging and challenge previous assumptions about early human technological capabilities in the region, suggesting a focus on harvesting underground plant resources rather than hunting.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.