July 20 () –
A 300,000-year-old hunting weapon has revealed early humans as masters of making wooden weapons, according to a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The most advanced analysis of a double-ended wooden throwing stick tip, found in Schöningen (Germany) three decades ago, it shows that it was scraped, cured and sanded before being used to kill animals. Research indicates that Early human carpentry techniques were more developed and sophisticated than previously thought.
The findings also suggest that the creation of light weapons may have allowed group hunting of small and medium-sized animals. The use of throwing sticks as hunting tools could have involved the entire community, including children.
Dr Annemieke Milks, from the Department of Archeology at the University of Reading, who led the research, said: “Discoveries of wooden tools have revolutionized our understanding of early human behaviour. Remarkably, these early humans demonstrated a great ability to plan ahead, a great knowledge of the properties of wood, and many sophisticated woodworking skills that we still use today.“, Add.
“These lightweight throwing sticks could be easier to throw than heavier spears, indicating that the whole community could participate,” he continues. “These tools could have been used by children while learning to throw and hunt.”
According to Dirk Leder, co-author of the study, “Humans in Schöningen used a spruce branch to make this streamlined, ergonomic tool. The woodworking involved multiple steps, including cutting and removing bark, carve it to give it a streamlined shape, roughen the surface more, season the wood to prevent cracking and warping, and sand it down for easier handling“.
Found in 1994, the stick 77 cm long it is one of several tools discovered at Schöningen, including throwing lances, thrusting lances, and a second throwing staff of similar size. In good condition, it is on display at the Forschungsmuseum in Schöningen.
The double-ended throwing stick — analyzed in an exceptionally high level of detail for this new study — was most likely used by early humans to hunt medium-sized game such as deer and roe deer, and possibly small game and fast, like the hare and birds, which would otherwise be difficult to hunt. Throwing sticks were thrown in rotation, like a boomerang, rather than overhead like a modern javelin, and may have enabled early humans to throw up to 100 feet. Despite their lightness, the sheer speed at which these weapons can be thrown could have resulted in deadly high-energy impacts.
The fine surface, the careful shape of the points, and the polish produced by handling suggest that it was a piece of personal equipment of repeated use, and not a quickly manufactured tool that was discarded due to carelessness.
According to lead researcher Thomas Terberger, “the systematic analysis of the wood finds from the Schöningen site, funded by the German Research Foundation, brings new and valuable data, and soon we can expect more interesting information about these first wooden weapons“.
