Homo sapiens could have hunted with bow and arrow from the onset of the Early Upper Palaeolithic in Eurasia

Abstract

The evolution of projectile technology remains a central topic in palaeoanthropological discussions on prey acquisition, subsistence strategies, and interpersonal violence. A linear technological development is tradi- tionally assumed from handheld spears, spear-thrower and spears (darts), to bow-and-arrows throughout the Palaeolithic, although recent studies argue for a more complex scenario. Here, we combine experimental ballistic with use-wear and morphometric analyses to investigate whether Aurignacian (c. 40–35 kya) osseous projectile points represent a diverse hunting strategy, i.e., whether some armatures were hafted on arrows rather than on spears. Our results suggest that breakage patterns depend more on the raw material and size of the armature than its specific launching mechanism. Variation in damage types and sizes recorded for arrowheads falls within that observed for spears. Thus, we suggest that Aurignacian hunting gears repre- sent diverse weaponry technologies that possibly include both spear-thrower-and-spear and bow-and-ar- rows from the onset of the early Upper Palaeolithic.