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A variety of stone tools found on the shores of Lake Turkana since 2011 last.
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The findings are surprising because the equipment was 700.000 years ancient stone tools have been found, even older than the human species Homo habilis.
That is, the researchers reported in the scientific journal Nature, a very ancient species such as Australopithecus afarensis or kenyanthropus may be far more sophisticated than imagined.
"It is more ancient than previous discoveries," said Dr. Nick Taylor of the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) in France and the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
"It is astounding to think of a time span of 700,000 years between the invention and the invention prior to this. Remarkable. "
The first tools were found on the shores of Lake Turkana was apparent when the researchers took the wrong path in the plains of Kenya in 2011.
Since then, they keep finding locations that recently named Lomekwi 3.
At the end of 2012, a total of 149 tools have been found. An other visits in 2014 have found more.
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| The tools were found to include a variety of sharp stone flakes from a larger boulder, which is likely to be used for cutting. |
The tools were found to include a variety of sharp stone flakes from a larger boulder, which is likely to be used for cutting.
Hammer and anvil or anvil is also found, some of which are very large.
"The biggest thing we found weighing 15 kg," Taylor told the BBC.
"In this tool, there are no signs that this was cut to make other tools .... So this may be used as a basis. It may be placed on the ground and other stones brought here, large stones to be solved other tools, solved on this great foundation. "
See the age of the volcanic ash and minerals found around there, shows that the stone tools 3,3 million years old.
Prior to this discovery, the oldest examples of stone tools is equipment Oldowan of Tanzania, which used about 2.6 million years ago.
Researchers do not yet know who makes the equipment found in Kenya that.
Until now, many consider that Homo habilis - known as "the man artisan" - is the great-grandfather first man to use the equipment.
But the ancient Homo fossils are estimated to live 2,3 or 2,4, million years ago, so it is not they first species making equipment.
Other findings, such as animal bones found in Ethiopia and had a piece of old former 3,39 million last year also implies the use of the equipment before it is used by the H. habilis.
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| Australopithecus afarensis user alleged stone tools were found on the shores of Lake Turkana millions of years ago. |
More primitive
Researchers now believe that the stone tools 3.3 million years old and was made by the ancient more primitive species.
Taylor said: "There are a number of candidates at this time.
"There hominin called kenyanthropus, found very close to the excavation site Lomekwi 3. And hominin was indeed alive at the same time as the use of stone tools.
"Seen more broadly in the East African region is no other hominin, Australopithecus afarensis, known as Lucy, it was another candidate."
Both species were considered to be not too smart - they have features such as humans and monkeys and a fairly small brain size.
But with the discovery of stone tools, they may be smarter than scientists had suspected.
Dr. Ignacio de la Torre, of the institute of technology University College London, said the discovery was "very change perceptions".
"This is the most important discovery in 50 years," he told the BBC.
"This shows that species such as Australopithecus probably smart enough to make stone tools - that they have sufficient ability to do things like this." (bbc)
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