Humans fashioned double-pointed weapons 300,000 years ago and used them like boomerangs

Archaeologist have unearthed a double-pointed stick dating back 300,000 years. They believe it was thrown sideways like a boomerang, rather than like a spear. A recent study of early human woodwork at the University of Reading revealed that early human was already master woodworker.

New research reveals early human's master woodworking abilities

Researchers from the University of Reading revealed that the early human was a master woodworker who used techniques similar to those still in use today. Researchers used three-dimensional surface microscopy to examine a throwing stick used by early humans. The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggests that the development of lightweight hunting tools enabled group hunting of small and medium-sized animals.

A throwing stick with points at both ends was discovered at the same site as the well-known Schöningen spears. C: V. Minkus,Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0

"The discovery of wooden tools has revolutionised our understanding of early human behaviour," stated Dr Annemieke Milks from the Department of Archaeology, who led the study. "These throwing sticks are evidence of an impressive depth of planning, an extensive knowledge of the properties of wood and a variety of woodworking techniques that are still in use today."

Aerodynamic and Ergonomic Hunting Tools

"The early people of Schöningen used a spruce branch to produce this aerodynamic and ergonomic tool,” added Dr Dirk Leder a research associate from the Lower Saxony State Office for the Preservation of Monuments and the co-author of the study. “The woodworking involved several steps, including cutting and stripping the bark, carving it into an aerodynamic shape, scraping off a larger part of the surface, drying the wood to prevent cracking and deformation, and sanding it for safe handling.”

C: Benoit Clarys

Throwing sticks were presumably used for hunting medium-sized game. Smaller prey, such as hares or birds, could also be hunted by these tools. Like boomerangs, throwing sticks were also thrown in rotation and reached high speeds at distances of up to 30 metres, causing deadly hits.

"The systematic analysis of the wooden finds from the Schöningen site, funded by the German Research Foundation, provides significant insights into the period, which was 300,000 years ago, and more exciting results on these uniquely preserved weapons can be expected soon," says 

M. Enes Gençtürk - arkeolojikhaber

Sourche:  University of Reading, Plos One and dailymail