Discovery of 700,000-Year-Old Stone Tools in Greece Signals Major Advance In Human Evolution

Archaeological site in southern Greece contains stone tools as early at 700,000 years old, pushing back first evidence of human evolutionary precursor activity in Greece by up to 250,000 years.
Site was found in an open coal mine and dates to Lower Paleolithic period, when only precursors to modern humans inhabited the region.
Stone tools and animal remains at the site provide evidence of early human hunting and foraging activity.
International team of researchers, led by experts from the Ephoreia of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, discovered and excavated the site.
Discovery indicates the area of southern Greece played an important role in development of stone tool technology in Europe during the Lower Paleolithic era.