Buzz
Over the years, researchers have identified numerous ancient objects, ranging from the first known prosthetic (two artificial toes from Ancient Egypt) to the earliest recorded song (a Sumerian hymn from 3400 years ago). But what is the oldest thing ever uncovered? The answer varies depending on whether we’re talking about geological or human-made objects—and in this case, the term "man" (or even "human") is a bit misleading.
In 2014, scientists confirmed that a tiny zircon crystal discovered on a sheep ranch in Western Australia was a 4.4-billion-year-old piece of Earth’s crust, making it the oldest rock fragment ever found on our planet. In comparison, the oldest fossils are only billion years old.
Meanwhile, in 2011, a team of archaeologists discovered stone tools in Kenya that are 3.3 million years old. Since the human Homo genus emerged around 2.8 million years ago, it’s believed these tools were made by an earlier human ancestor. This discovery challenges the idea that key human traits, like "making stone tools, eating more meat, and possibly using language" evolved suddenly, around the same time that the Homo genus began. As Jason Lewis, a paleoanthropologist at Rutgers University who helped with the find, told Smithsonian, "the development of these characteristics wasn’t as abrupt as we once thought."
In short, new discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of Earth’s history and humanity’s place in it. For now, the Australian crystal and the stone tools remain among the oldest objects ever uncovered. But who knows? In a few years, they may just be considered outdated discoveries.
