Lost cities / archaeology / ancient history

Another one of those stories that I like, where something we found turns out to be very old indeed:

The researchers say the tools may be as much as 1.4m years old, but other experts say the study methodology suggests that they may be just over 1m years old, placing them in roughly the same date range as other ancient tools unearthed in Spain.

The earliest stone tools of this type yet found were unearthed in eastern Africa and date back to 2.8m years ago, said Rick Potts, who directs the Smithsonian Institution’s human origins programme.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/06/ancient-stone-tools-found-in-ukraine-offer-oldest-evidence-of-human-presence-in-europe

Obviously, dating techniques may be problematic, but if true this would show just how early and how far people dispersed. Needless to say, they will have had many other tools than just stone tools, which are merely the only thing likely to be preserved from so long ago. And, as ever, I don't like this thinking in terms of 'species', which I think is just wrong.