Primitive humans may have left Africa earlier than thought

Chinese and British researchers believe the tools were made by another member of the homo evolutionary group, rather than homo sapiens, as much as 2.1 million years ago.

Until now, the oldest evidence of human-like creatures outside the continent came from 1.8 million-year-old artefacts and skulls found in Dmanisi in Georgia.

The newly discovered artefacts were found on a plateau north of the Qinling mountains and include several chipped rocks, fragments and hammer stones.

The research, published in the journal Nature, also suggests that the ancient humans returned to the same site repeatedly, possibly for hunting.

Bones of pigs and deer were discovered at the site but the scientists could not prove definitively that the tools were used for hunting.

Zhaoyu Zhu, a professor at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, said the team was “very excited” about the findings.

“One of my colleagues suddenly noticed a stone embedded in a steep outcrop. After a short while, more artefacts were found – one after another.”

However some other experts have said the findings should be taken with caution.

An anthropologist from William Paterson University in New Jersey, Geoffrey Pope, said he is “skeptical” and that the discovery will “change very little”.