The Origins of Hominin Tool Making
3 June 2027
10:00am-5:00pm
Rewley House 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
3 June 2027
Study Format:
In-person day/weekend
Fees:
£140.00
The oldest known stone tools date to 3.3 million years ago (Ma) and were discovered at a site in northern Kenya. Their maker would have been an australopithecine, one of an early group of hominins from which our genus, Homo, emerged. However, tool use among our hominin ancestors and relatives almost certainly extends even further back in time. Tool use and tool making are known among a number of non-human primate species. Many use perishable materials, such as sticks and leaves, but a few, such as bearded capuchins and some chimpanzees, also use stone tools.
In this day school, we’ll explore tool use and manufacture among living primates and consider the implications of this for tool use among the earliest hominins. We’ll look at the archaeological evidence for tool use among australopithecines, focusing on the earliest known lithic industry, the Lomekwian, and go on to examine the relatively advanced Oldowan which first appears around 2.9 Ma. Along the way, we’ll consider why hominins started making and using tools, and which early hominin species may have been early tool makers. For example, although the Oldowan has often been associated with Homo habilis, Oldowan tools were undoubtedly made by several different hominin species, not only other species of early Homo, but probably also some species of Australopithecus and Paranthropus.
The event will include flintknapping and other practical demonstrations to illustrate various aspects of early hominin technology and tool use.
Join us for this event which is suitable for anyone curious about the origins of tool making among our hominin ancestors.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 3 March 2027.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Accommodation
If you wish to stay with us before and/or after the event, please contact our Residential Centre for availability and discounted rates.
Call +44 (0) 1865 270362 or email res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk
Our accommodationour accommodation at Rewley House in Wellington Square has been rated as 4-Star Campus Accommodation under Visit England. All bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished with tea/coffee making facilities, Freeview television, private bath/shower rooms and free WiFi. For more details see our accommodation information.
Recommended reading
Falk, D, The Botanic Age: Planting the Seeds of Human Evolution (Aevo UTP, 2025).
Plummer, T. W., Harmand, S., Finestone, E. M. & Wilson, E. P., The First Million Years of Technology: The Lomekwian and the Early Oldowan (Annual Review of Anthropology 54: 359-375 (2025).
Programme details
9.45am
Registration at Rewley House reception
10am
Tool Use and Manufacture in Living Non-Human Primates
11.15am
Tea/coffee break
11.45am
In Search of the Earliest Hominin Tool Users
1pm
Lunch break
2pm
The Earliest Hominin Stone Tool Makers
3.15pm
Tea/coffee break
3.45pm
The Oldowan Tool Makers: Technologies, Competence and Cognitive Implications
5pm
End of day
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Event fee (includes tea/coffee) | £140.00 |
| Baguette lunch | £7.90 |
| Hot lunch (two-course) | £22.40 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Payment
Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.
Dr Diane Holmes – Tutor
Diane Holmes has been teaching courses on human evolution and Palaeolithic archaeology for OUDCE for many years. Her main interests are Palaeolithic technology and African prehistory, particularly the Middle Stone Age.
Please use the ‘Book’ button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us to obtain an application form.
Image credit: Diane Holmes – picture of the only Early Stone Age ‘chopper’ (from Olduvai) on display at the Pitt Rivers Museum.
