“Early Evidence of Bows and Arrows Found in Europe 54,000 Years Ago”

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• Archaeologists have discovered more than 100 arrowheads in a rock shelter used by a group of modern humans 54,000 years ago.
• The earliest unambiguous evidence for bows and arrows in Europe came from finds in Stellmoor, Germany, dating to around 10,000 years ago.
• The discovery of the arrowheads at Grotte Mandrin suggests that bows and arrows were used in Europe much earlier than previously thought.
• Modern humans had technological advantages over Neanderthals, such as bows and arrows, which may have been a factor in their eventual extinction.
• The arrowheads show signs of impact damage resembling those seen when the team used newly made stone points as arrowheads.

细节

A new study has revealed that bows and arrows were used in Europe much earlier than previously thought.

Archaeologists have discovered more than 100 arrowheads in a rock shelter used by a group of modern humans 54,000 years ago.

The rock shelter, called Grotte Mandrin, was first used by Neanderthals more than 80,000 years ago, and then by modern humans from about 45,000 years ago.

The team found more than a thousand small stone points around 1 or 2 centimetres long, of which around 100 have been identified as broken or complete arrowheads.

The arrowheads show signs of impact damage resembling those seen when the team used newly made stone points as arrowheads.

The parts that remained attached to the shaft have also been found, suggesting that when an arrowhead broke, hunters would have brought the arrow back to camp and replaced the arrowhead.

Bows and arrows were first developed in Africa at least 70,000 years ago.

The earliest unambiguous evidence for bows and arrows in Europe came from finds in Stellmoor, Germany, dating to around 10,000 years ago.

Neanderthals never developed bows and arrows, instead using large, stone-tipped spears that were either thrust directly or thrown by hand.

There is no evidence that the arrows found at Grotte Mandrin were used in conflict.

It is possible that this small group of modern humans was wiped out by Neanderthals despite having technological advantages such as bows and arrows, but there is no evidence of this.

The discovery of the arrowheads at Grotte Mandrin suggests that bows and arrows were used in Europe much earlier than previously thought.

This is the earliest evidence of bows and arrows in Europe, predating the earliest unambiguous evidence from Stellmoor, Germany, by 44,000 years.

It also suggests that modern humans had technological advantages over Neanderthals, such as bows and arrows, which may have been a factor in their eventual extinction.