Archery Bows Show Homo Sapiens Existed 54,000 Years Ago, Traditional Weapon Found ‘Too Light to be Efficient’

Evidence of early archery bow usage was recovered in a cave located in southern France. It shows that homo sapiens in Europe used these bows and arrows around 54,000 years ago, which is much earlier than previously thought.

Archery Bows Used by Homo Sapiens 54,000 Years Ago

According to Live Science, archery bow and arrow usage in Africa is documented to date all the way back to around 70,000 years ago. However, in Europe, the oldest evidence dates back to 10,000 to 12,000 years. This makes the recent discovery that archery bows used by Homo sapiens date as far back as 40,000 years earlier than thought.

The study was included in the Sciences Advances journal. It is based on a Mandrin rock shelter that overlooks southern France's Rhone River middle valley. The site was first excavated in 1990. It has various layers of archaeological remains that date back over 80,000 years.

The researchers behind this study previously reported that Neanderthals and homo sapiens alternated dwelling within the cave. A level called "Layer E" is attributed to homo sapien' presence around 54,000 years ago. It also interposes across layers of several occupations of Neanderthals.

Ancient Archery

The scientists functionally analyzed the artifacts spotted in Layer E that were executed more finely compared to the other ones from the upper or lower layers.

Archaeologist Laure Metz from the Aix-Marseille Universite and the University of Connecticut mentioned to Gizmodo that archery technologies are grounded in perishable materials such as resins, leather, fibers, sinew, and wood. These rarely get preserved and are, thus, difficult to archaeologically recognize.

In the study, tiny flint points were key. The researchers reproduced these points, which are small inside the cave. They then shot them as arrowheads with a replica bow toward dead animals.

Because of how tiny and light they were to be efficient, the researchers could not throw them using any other method. The only way for it to propel was to work with a bow.

The researchers said that the flint point fractures were analyzed and compared with artifact scars around the cave. Findings proved that these points were indeed used as arrowheads.

Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens

Evidence shows that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens that dwelled in the cave may have met at some point. However, the researchers do not know whether this meeting was nice or not.

The Neanderthals who stayed at the site still used traditional weapons, such as hand-thrown spears. They did not come up with weapons that were propelled mechanically.

These two populations had greatly distinct technologies and traditions mastered. This shows a technological advantage that modern populations had as they expanded through Europe.

Metz notes that the cave's occupants may have hunted bison, deer, and horses.

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