A groundbreaking discovery in Greece has revealed the oldest known wooden tools, estimated to be 430,000 years old, at the Marathousa 1 archaeological site in the Peloponnese region. This find, led by researchers from the University of Reading, University of Tubingen, and the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, pushes back the evidence for wooden tool use by 40,000 years. The tools, made from alder and willow or poplar, were found alongside stone tools and animal remains, indicating that early humans used the area for butchering near an ancient lake during the Middle Pleistocene. Detailed microscopic analysis was necessary to identify the tools, as not all wooden pieces were human-made. One artifact showed signs of wear, suggesting it was used for digging or stripping bark. The discovery sheds light on the survival strategies of early humans, who faced competition from large carnivores, highlighting the complex behaviors that emerged during this critical phase of human evolution.