Archaeologists have discovered two ancient wooden tools near an old lake in the Megalopolis basin of southern Greece. The tools are about 430,000 years old and are the oldest wooden tools known so far. The discovery was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. One tool is a long wooden stick about 80 centimeters in length and was likely used for digging in soft soil. The second tool is a smaller piece of wood made from willow or poplar and may have been used to help shape stone tools. Wooden tools are rarely found because wood usually decays over time.

The tools were preserved because they were quickly covered by soil and stayed in a wet environment. This helped prevent the wood from breaking down. Similar wet conditions have preserved wooden tools in other countries. No human remains have been found at the site, but the tools may have been used by Neanderthals or other early humans. The discovery shows that wood was an important material for making tools in the past.