A recent investigation conducted by TraceoLab at the University of Liège has unveiled compelling evidence suggesting the existence of long-distance weaponry, predating previous estimates by an astonishing 10,000 years.
The study has shed light on the remarkable capabilities of the hunter-gatherers who settled alongside the Haine River in southern Belgium approximately 31,000 years ago. Surprisingly, they were already adept at employing spearthrowers for hunting, marking a significant advancement in prehistoric weaponry. This groundbreaking research, conducted at TraceoLab at the University of Liège, is centered around the archaeological site of Maisières-Canal, where compelling evidence has emerged, pushing back the origins of this essential technological innovation by a full millennium. This revelation has been documented in the esteemed journal “Scientific Reports,” prompting archaeologists to reevaluate the timeline of this pivotal advancement.
The Spearthrower: A Revolution in the Art of Hunting
The spearthrower, a remarkable weapon designed for propelling darts, large projectiles akin to arrows, boasts lengths exceeding two meters. These ingenious devices had the astonishing capability to launch darts over distances of up to eighty meters.
The advent of long-range hunting weaponry carried profound implications for human evolution. It revolutionized hunting methods, altering the dynamics between early humans and their prey, subsequently impacting diet and the social structure of prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities. Consequently, the precise timeline of the invention and diffusion of such weaponry has long remained a topic of fervent debate within the scientific community.
Identifying Early Weapons: A Formidable Challenge
Detecting early weapons at archaeological sites has proven exceptionally challenging due to their organic components, which rarely endure the test of time. Notably, stone points that once armed ancient projectiles, more frequently uncovered in archaeological excavations, posed difficulties in their unequivocal association with specific weapons.
Recent claims regarding the early utilization of spearthrowers and bows in Europe and Africa have primarily relied on the size of projectile points to establish their connection to these weapon systems. However, ethnographic surveys and experimental assessments have raised substantial doubts about this approach, revealing that arrowheads, darts, and spear tips exhibit considerable size variability, often overlapping.
A Pioneering Approach in Archaeology
In an innovative approach, archaeologists at TraceoLab have amalgamated ballistic analysis and fracture mechanics to gain deeper insights into the traces preserved on flint points.
A comprehensive large-scale experiment was executed, involving the discharge of replicas of Palaeolithic projectiles using diverse weapons, including spears, bows, and spearthrowers. The careful examination of fractures on these stone points has yielded an intricate understanding of how each weapon impacted the fracturing of the points upon striking a target.
These distinctive markings left by each weapon system allowed archaeologists to correlate these marks with archaeological findings. This process can be likened to identifying a firearm based on the distinctive marks the barrel leaves on a bullet—a practice well-established in forensic science.
The remarkable concordance between the experimental spearthrower samples and the projectiles discovered at the Maisières-Canal site validates the assertion that the inhabitants of this site indeed employed these advanced weapons. This discovery fuels the enthusiasm of archaeologists to further apply this method, unraveling the true antiquity of ancient long-range weaponry. Future endeavors at TraceoLab will center on refining the analytical approach for application in diverse archaeological contexts, bringing us closer to comprehending the depths of our ancient ancestors’ ingenuity.
Reference: “Terminal ballistic analysis of impact fractures reveals the use of spearthrower 31 ky ago at Maisières-Canal, Belgium” by Justin Coppe, Noora Taipale, and Veerle Rots, published on October 25, 2023, in Scientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45554-w
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Prehistoric Spearthrowers
What is the significance of the discovery of 31,000-year-old spearthrowers in Belgium?
This discovery is of great significance as it pushes back the known origins of long-range weaponry by 10,000 years, reshaping our understanding of prehistoric hunting technology.
What were spearthrowers used for, and how did they impact early human societies?
Spearthrowers were used for long-distance hunting, propelling darts over considerable distances. Their invention revolutionized hunting practices, affecting human diets, social organization, and the dynamics between early humans and their prey.
Why were early weapons like spearthrowers difficult to detect at archaeological sites?
These early weapons were primarily made of organic materials that rarely survive over millennia, making their identification a formidable challenge for archaeologists.
How did the innovative approach at TraceoLab help in identifying these ancient weapons?
TraceoLab’s approach combined ballistic analysis and fracture mechanics. They conducted large-scale experiments, firing replicas of Palaeolithic projectiles from various weapons and analyzed the resulting fractures on stone points to distinguish each weapon’s unique markings.
What implications does this discovery have for future archaeological research?
This discovery encourages archaeologists to apply the method to other archaeological contexts to gain further insights into the antiquity of ancient long-range weaponry, potentially reshaping our understanding of early human technology and hunting practices.
5 comments
this method they used is so smart, like matchin marks on stone points 2 ancient weapons, just like in forensics, super cool!
wow this is amazin stuff, they found spearthrowers from ages ago, like 31k years, that’s a real game changer
so the weapons were hard 2 find b4 cos they were made of organic stuff, makes sense why they’re just findin them now
spearthrowers sound so cool, they probly had a big impact on how ancient humans hunted, gr8 discovery
i didnt kno they cud find such old stuff, this changes what we thot about ancient hunting big time