The First Tools

The First Tools

From The Ancients by History Hit

April 23, 2026 · 46 min · Episode 654

About this episode

The episode explores the origins and significance of the first stone tools made by early hominins in Africa over 3 million years ago.

What if the first technology was just a stone? Tristan Hughes and Dr. Emma Finestone, - Curator and the Robert J. and Linnet E. Fritz Endowed Chair of Humans Origins at Cleveland Museum of Natural History - travel back over 3 million years to Africa, where early hominins began shaping stone tools that transformed survival, diet, and behaviour. From the earliest finds to the widespread tool making industry in northern Tanzania, they explore who made these tools, how they worked, and why they matter. MORE Rise of Humans Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Origins of the Wheel Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Hannah Feodorov. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Tristan Hughes

Guest: Dr. Emma Finestone

Topics covered

  • stone tools
  • early hominins
  • human evolution
  • survival
  • diet
  • behavior

Keywords

  • stone tools
  • hominins
  • Africa
  • human origins
  • tool making
  • survival
  • diet

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cleveland Museum of Natural History, History Hit

Places: Africa, northern Tanzania

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