VIDEO

VIDEO

The Birth of Technology: Inside the Stone

The Birth of Technology: Inside the Stone

From stones to cell phones, technology requires the complex mental processes of which humans are uniquely capable.

Grades

6 - 12+

Subjects

Biology, Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography

This video clip, from the film Bones of Turkana, takes place in the area around ancient Lake Turkana, Kenya. This area is known as a cradle of human life. There is evidence that hominids lived here as far back as 4.2 million years ago.

Dr. Hélène Roche is an archaeologist at the Turkana Basin Institute. She has worked at Lake Turkana for more than two decades, uncovering and piecing back together valuable tools used by ancient hominids. This video gives insight into the beginnings of technology created by hominids and the correlation between brain size and technology.

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Writer
Hannah Herrero
Editors
National Geographic Society
Elizabeth Wolzak, National Geographic Society
Expert Reviewer
Jill Wertheim, National Geographic Society
Producers
J.J. Kelley
Alison Michel
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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