During a time of dramatic climate change some 200,000 to 300,000 years ago there is evidence for the first modern humans turning up in southern Africa. Fossil evidence shows that humans had later migrated to southeastern Asia by at least 77,000 years ago.
Early humans were wandering nomads that made a living by hunting and gathering. They probably used caves and other natural environmental formations that could help provide protection from the harsh elements and numerous wild animals looking for a meal.
Wood was probably one of the first resources that humans used to construct both temporary and later more permanent places for protection and sleeping. Using tree branches and other plant materials to make nests was probably an early way to avoid being tied to a specific location for any long periods of time.
Wood is the principal strengthening and nutrient-conducting tissue of trees and other plants and one of the most abundant and versatile natural materials. It is produced by an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 species of plants, but only 3,000 to 4,000 species produce wood that is suitable for use as a construction material. In 2023, archeologists uncovered some carved, interlocking logs in Zambia (south-central Africa) that date to nearly 480,000 years old.
They represent the oldest known wooden structure to have ever been found. The structure is possibly a remnant of a walkway, seating area or storage unit.
It hints that some early human relatives may had led a less nomadic lifestyle than archeologists previously thought.
For archeological studies, preserved wood has proven to be a good material for the accurate and reliable dating of age.
