Are the Schöningen spears the oldest hunting weapons ever discovered by humans?
In short: Archaeologist Dr. Annemieke Milks discusses the significance of ten wooden spears found in a German mine. These artifacts, dating back 300,000 years, challenge long-held assumptions about the technical capabilities and social structures of our early ancestors, including Neanderthals.
Excavated from a lignite mine in Schöningen, Germany, between 1994 and 1999, these Palaeolithic weapons were recovered from a layer known as the 'Spear Horizon.' Their discovery alongside animal bones and various tools suggests that early humans possessed a level of social complexity and craftsmanship previously underestimated by researchers.
The survival of this wooden technology over hundreds of thousands of years indicates that these implements were highly effective for hunting. By examining the construction and potential usage of these spears, experts are gaining a clearer picture of how early human ancestors interacted and thrived in their environments.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Schöningen Spears | The Oldest Weapons in Human History?
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