Science After Hours | Who Made the Earliest Stone Tools? Exploring the Origins of Lithic Technology

Humans use technology to shape environments and solve adaptive problems far beyond any other species on Earth.

Technology originated millions of years ago, when our ancestors began striking stones together to produce flakes with sharp cutting edges.

Dr. Emma Finestone, Associate Curator and the Robert J. and Linnet E. Fritz Endowed Chair of Humans Origins at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, will review the early archaeological record and the corresponding hominin fossil record. She will discuss how research on the Homa Peninsula in Kenya adds to growing evidence that our evolutionary relatives in the genus Paranthropus—and potentially earlier hominins in the genus Australopithecus—may have been among the earliest users of stone tools.

Doors open at 6pm; the program begins at 6:30pm in the Rare Book Room. The evening will continue in the galleries and conclude with a reception in the Visitor Hall.

Tickets & Parking

Nonmembers: $35
Members: $30
Leadership Circle: FREE

To learn more about joining the Leadership Circle, please contact Kelly Federico, Annual Fund Manager, at 216.231.4600 x3360 or kfederico@cmnh.org.

$10 flat-rate parking in the Museum's attached garage

About Science After Hours

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Science After Hours program invites you to connect with the Museum community while deepening your understanding of the natural world and your place within it. Join other lifelong learners for enriching discussions, sneak peeks at emerging research findings, and firsthand insights from experts. Each program features a different topic, highlights information from our new galleries, and is sure to spark your curiosity and inspire action.