Israeli study: people began collecting souvenirs half a million years ago

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have hypothesized that humans began collecting souvenirs as far back as half a million years ago. Colored stones, fossils, and old tools found at sites in Israel may have served as 'external memory devices,' helping ancient people remember significant events and places.

A study by Tel Aviv University suggests that humans started collecting souvenirs half a million years ago. Researchers led by Dr. Yoav Ram and Prof. Ran Barkai examined archaeological finds from Israeli sites: colored pebbles in Qesem Cave, unusual hand axes in the valley near Sakhnin, and old flint tools at Revadim and Jaljulia. These items had no clear practical use but likely served as souvenirs, reminding people of places and events. The researchers link this habit to environmental changes—the disappearance of large animals forced humans to explore new hunting grounds. The authors emphasize that this is only a hypothesis, but the archaeological evidence points to a continuous tradition of keepsakes from half a million years ago to the present day.