Oldest stone tool from Turkey provides clues about human migration

Scientists have discovered the oldest stone tool found in Turkey, proving that humans migrated from Asia to Europe earlier than was previously thought.

The findings, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, show that humans moved from Asia to Europe about 1.2 million years ago. The tool, created from quartzite flake, was found in the river Gediz in western Turkey.

The find "provides a major new insight" about early human dispersion from Africa and Asia, Phys.org notes. The researchers used radioisotopic dating of the tool, along with paleomagnetic measurements from lava flows, to determine that early humans were in Europe between 1.24 million and 1.17 million years ago.

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