Step 1: Concept Summary:
The question seeks the location where the oldest, abundant stone tools were discovered. This points to a key paleoanthropological discovery related to the Oldowan industry's origin.
Step 2: Detailed Breakdown:
- Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: A significant paleoanthropological site where the Leakeys unearthed hominin fossils and stone tools. These tools defined the Oldowan industry, but later discoveries revealed older sites.
- Peninj River, Tanzania: Known for younger, more advanced Acheulean tools, not the earliest Oldowan tools.
- Gona, Ethiopia: The Gona river system in Ethiopia's Afar region yielded a large collection (over 3000) of stone tools, reliably dated to 2.6 million years ago. These were initially recognized as the oldest manufactured stone tools, offering the earliest strong evidence for the Oldowan industry.
- Torralba and Ambrona, Spain: European sites with Acheulean technology, significantly younger (around 400,000 years old).
- Note on Recent Discoveries: Even older tools (3.3 million years old, Lomekwian industry) were found at Lomekwi 3, Kenya. However, Gona is still a classic and widely referenced site for the oldest Oldowan tools and matches the description of a large assemblage. Therefore, Gona is the expected answer.
Step 3: Concise Answer:
Gona, Ethiopia, is renowned for the discovery of the largest collection of Oldowan stone tools, dating back approximately 2.6 million years.