Early humans hunted deer by flinging a double-pointed stick at least 30 metres like a boomerang, a study suggests.
Analysis of a 300,000-year-old hunting weapon shows our ancestors were woodwork experts and created personal tools, researchers have discovered.
The double-pointed wooden throwing stick, unearthed in Germany three decades ago, was scraped, seasoned and sanded before being used to kill animals.
The research indicates early humans’ woodworking techniques were more developed and sophisticated than previously understood.
And the use of throwing sticks as hunting aids could have involved the entire community, including children.
Early humans hunted deer by flinging a double-pointed stick at least 30 metres like a boomerang, a study suggests
Found in 1994, the 77cm-long stick is one of several different tools discovered in Schöningen, which includes throwing spears, thrusting spears and a second similarly sized throwing stick.
It was analysed by a team from the University of Reading, who determined it was more likely used by early humans to hunt medium-sized game like red and roe deer.
It may also have been used to hunt small, fast prey including hare and birds that were otherwise difficult to catch.
The throwing sticks would have been thrown rotationally – similar to a boomerang – rather than overhead like a modern-day javelin and may have enabled early humans to throw as far as 30 metres.
Although lightweight, the high velocities at which such weapons can be launched could have resulted in deadly high-energy impacts.
The fine surface, carefully shaped points and polish from handling suggest this was a piece of personal kit with repeated use, rather than a quickly made tool that was carelessly discarded.
Dr Annemieke Milks, who led the research, said: ‘Discoveries of wooden tools have revolutionised our understanding of early human behaviours.
The throwing sticks would have been thrown rotationally – similar to a boomerang – rather than overhead like a modern-day javelin and may have enabled early humans to throw as far as 30 metres
‘Amazingly these early humans demonstrated an ability to plan well in advance, a strong 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 launch than heavier spears, indicating the potential for the whole community to take part. Such tools could have been used by children while learning to throw and hunt.’
Co-author Dirk Leder added: ‘The Schöningen humans used a spruce branch to make this aerodynamic and ergonomic tool.
‘The woodworking involved multiple steps including cutting and stripping off the bark, carving it into an aerodynamic shape, scraping away more of the surface, seasoning the wood to avoid cracking and warping, and sanding it for easier handling.’
The findings were published in the journal Plos One.
