Researchers claim they have discovered the oldest axe in the world in Australia. They the prehistoric tool was created up to 49,000 years ago. The archaeological find is the size of a thumbnail, and although it looks like a plain rock, scientists says it is a fragment of an axe. The piece was excavated in the early 90s in Western Australia, in the region of Kimberley in the Windjana Gorge national park, but was only thoroughly examined recently. The discovery undermines the theory held that Europe was the birthplace of technology. The estimates of when humans migrated to Australia range between 50,000 to 55,000 years ago. According to Sydney University professor Peter Hiscock, who made the recent discovery, it does matter that the tool is just a fragment. “The great thing about it is it’s really distinctive – it has both polished surfaces coming together on the chip. While you don’t have the axe, you actually have a really good record of what the contact edge looks like’, he says.