2023-07-20 12:37:08
The Schöningen deposits, in northern Germany, are known for having preserved in their sediments a set of spears and wooden sticks considered to be humanity’s oldest hunting weapons. Presumably manufactured by A man from Heidelberg, an ancestor of Neanderthals, 300,000 years ago, include a slightly curved two-pronged staff about 77 centimeters long, similar to a boomerang. A new analysis of the piece, discovered in 1994, shows that it was scraped, dried and sanded before being used to kill animals.
The research, published this Wednesday in ‘PLOS ONE’, suggests that these early humans used more developed and sophisticated carpentry techniques than previously believed. The tool, made from a spruce branch, was “streamlined” and “ergonomic,” capable of killing an animal such as a roe deer or rabbit with one hit at thirty meters. In addition, the lightness of the weapon could allow group hunting. It could even have involved the entire community, including the children.
“Surprisingly, these early humans demonstrated the ability to plan far in advance, a great knowledge of the properties of wood, and many sophisticated woodworking skills that we still use today,” said Annemieke Milks, from the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology, who led the research.
For Dirk Leder, the woodworking involved several steps that included “cutting and removing the bark, carving it into a streamlined shape, roughening more surface area, drying the wood to prevent it from cracking and warping, and sanding it down for easier handling,” he summarizes.
Schönigen Volker Minkus Double Ended Throwing Stick
high impact weapon
According to the researchers, the double-ended throwing stick was likely used by early humans to hunt medium-sized game such as roe deer and small, fast-moving prey including hard-to-catch hares and birds.
The throwing sticks would have been thrown in a rotational fashion, similar to a boomerang, rather than overhead like a modern javelin, up to 30 meters away. Although lightweight, the high speeds at which such weapons can be launched could have resulted in deadly high-energy impacts.
The fine surface, carefully formed tips, and polish from handling suggest that this is a piece of personal equipment with repeated use, rather than a hastily made tool that was carelessly discarded.
“These lightweight throwing sticks may have been easier to throw than the heavier spears, indicating the potential for the whole community to be involved. Such tools could have been used by children while learning to throw and hunt,” Milks explains.
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