Interesting article. It would not be surprising to learn a lot of human innovation occurred at an earlier date than the current estimates. I wonder also if this current find is part of the general timeline of advancement or an isolated pocket. Human innovation is not always linear. Sometimes societies progress, sometimes not, and development between communities is not always uniform. This higher level of toolmaking could have developed and then been lost, or maybe not.

My favorite example of this is the Greek Antikythera device. It was centuries ahead of its time. Some genius created it and unfortunately sank with it in the Aegean before the device became widely known. Had the Antikythera device spread, who knows how history would have changed.

It was also interesting to note that there appeared to be climactic instability. That may have been key to the development of new skills. One of the truly unique aspects of the human brain is an unprecedented ability to adapt to new conditions quickly when compared to other animals. An unchanging favorable environment does not create the need to make better tools.