What is the first technology?

The concept of first technology is complex due to the vast array of innovations and tools developed by humans over millennia, and it significantly depends on how one defines technology. At its core, technology refers to the application of knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry, and it encompasses processes, techniques, methods, and tools.

If we consider technology in the broadest sense, the first technologies would likely include the basic tools and methods developed by early humans for survival and everyday life. Among these, stone tools are often considered some of the earliest forms of technology. These were used by our ancestors, Homo habilis, roughly 2.5 to 2.6 million years ago, for cutting, chopping, and scraping, marking the beginning of the Lower Paleolithic era and the Oldowan technological tradition. These simple stone tools represent humanity’s first step in developing technologies that would eventually lead to the complex world we live in today.

Another early and crucial technology was the control of fire, which dates back to at least 1 million years ago, though some evidence suggests humans might have been using fire as far back as 1.7 million years ago. The ability to produce and control fire was a significant technological advance, providing warmth, protection, light, and a method for cooking food, which would have had profound effects on early human diet and social organization.

Thus, while pinpointing a single first technology is challenging due to the continuous and multifaceted development of early human innovations, stone tools and the control of fire stand out as fundamental technologies that played pivotal roles in the course of human evolution.