Wood do you believe it? Early humans were skilled carpenters and made double-ended weapons 300,000 years ago (but threw them like boomerangs instead of spears!)
- Our ancestors were skilled carpenters and created personal tools.
- Scientists have unearthed a double-ended stick dating back 300,000 years
- They believe it was thrown sideways like a boomerang, rather than a spear.
Early humans hunted deer by throwing a two-pronged stick at a distance of at least 100 feet like a boomerang, a study suggests.
Analysis of a 300,000-year-old hunting weapon shows that our ancestors were skilled carpenters and created personal tools, the researchers have found.
The double-ended wooden throwing stick, unearthed in Germany three decades ago, was scraped, seasoned and sanded before being used to kill animals.
Research indicates that early humans’ carpentry techniques were more developed and sophisticated than previously believed.
And the use of throwing sticks as hunting aids could have involved the entire community, including children.
Early humans hunted deer by throwing a two-pronged stick at a distance of at least 100 feet like a boomerang, study suggests
Found in 1994, the 77 cm long stick is one of several different tools discovered at Schöningen, including throwing spears, stabbing spears, and a second throwing stick of similar size.
It was analyzed by a team at the University of Reading, who determined it was most likely used by early humans to hunt medium-sized game such as red deer and roe deer.
It may also have been used to hunt small, fast game, including hares and birds that would otherwise be difficult to catch.
Throwing sticks would have been thrown in a rotational fashion, similar to a boomerang, rather than overhead like a modern javelin and may have allowed early humans to throw up to 30 meters.
Although lightweight, the high speeds at which such weapons can be launched could have resulted in deadly high-energy impacts.
The fine surface, carefully formed tips, and polish from handling suggest that this is a piece of personal equipment with repeated use, rather than a hastily made tool carelessly discarded.
Annemieke Milks, who led the research, said: “The discoveries of wooden tools have revolutionized our understanding of early human behaviours.
Throwing sticks would have been thrown in a rotational fashion, similar to a boomerang, rather than overhead like a modern javelin and may have allowed early humans to throw up to 30 meters.
“Amazingly, these early humans demonstrated the ability to plan far in advance, a great knowledge of the properties of wood, and many sophisticated woodworking skills that we still use today.
“These lightweight throwing sticks may have been easier to throw than the heavier spears, indicating the potential for the entire community to be involved. Such tools could have been used by children while learning to throw and hunt.’
Co-author Dirk Leder added: ‘The humans from Schöningen used a spruce branch to make this streamlined, ergonomic tool.
“The joinery involved several steps, including cutting and removing the bark, carving it into a streamlined shape, roughening more surface area, seasoning the wood to prevent cracking and warping, and sanding it down for easier handling.”
The findings were published in the journal Plos One.
