Archaeologists in Algeria have discovered stone tools and cut animal bones that may be up to 2.4 million years old, bringing into question East Africa's title as the cradle of humanity, according to research published Thursday in the journal Science.

The artifacts - more ancient than those discovered in the region until now - were found in Setif, some 200 miles (300 kilometres) east of Algiers, by a team of international researchers, including Algerians.

The tools closely resemble those called Oldowan, found until now mainly in East Africa.

The tools were unearthed near dozens of fossilised animal bones which contained cut marks, as if relics of prehistoric butchers.

The bones came from animals including the ancestors of crocodiles, elephants and hippopotamuses.

"East Africa is widely considered to be the birthplace of stone tool use by our ancient hominid ancestors - the earliest examples of which date as far back as about 2.6 million years ago," said the report in Science.

"The new findings make Ain Boucherit the oldest site in northern Africa with in situ evidence of hominin meat use with associated stone tools and they suggest that other similarly early sites could be found outside of the Eastern Africa Rift."