Terminal ballistic analysis of impact fractures reveals the use of spearthrower 31 ky ago at Maisieres-Canal, Belgium.

ABSTRACT: The emergence of hunting technology in the deep past fundamentally shaped the subsistence strategies of early human populations. Hence knowing when different weapons were first introduced is important for understanding our evolutionary trajectory. The timing of the adoption of long-range weaponry remains heavily debated because preserved organic weapon components are extremely rare in the Paleolithic record and stone points are difficult to attribute reliably to weapon delivery methods without supporting organic evidence. Here, we use a refined use-wear approach to demonstrate that spearthrower was used for launching projectiles armed with tanged flint points at Maisières-Canal (Belgium) 31,000 years ago. The novelty of our approach lies in the combination of impact fracture data with term

SUBMITTER: Coppe J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10600151 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature