The antiquity of bow-and-arrow technology: evidence from Middle Stone Age layers at Sibudu Cave

The bowand arrowis thought to be a unique development of our species, signalling higherlevel cognitive functioning. How this technology originated and how we identify archaeological evidence for it are subjects of ongoing debate. Recent analysis of the putative bone arrow point from Sibudu Cave in S...

ver descrição completa

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Backwell, Lucinda Ruth, Bradfield, Justin, Carlson, Kristian J., Jashashvili, Tea, Wadley, Lyn, D'Errico, Francesco
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versão publicada
Data de publicação:2018
País:Argentina
Recursos:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositório:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglês
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/81248
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/81248
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:South Africa
Sibudu Cave
Projectile Technology
Bow And Arrow
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
Descrição
Resumo:The bowand arrowis thought to be a unique development of our species, signalling higherlevel cognitive functioning. How this technology originated and how we identify archaeological evidence for it are subjects of ongoing debate. Recent analysis of the putative bone arrow point from Sibudu Cave in South Africa, dated to 61.7±1.5kya, has provided important new insights. High-resolution CT scanning revealed heat and impact<br />damage in both the Sibudu point and in experimentally produced arrow points. These<br />features suggest that the Sibudu point was first used as an arrowhead for hunting, and<br />afterwards was deposited in a hearth. Our results support the claim that bone weapon tips were used in South African hunting long before the Eurasian Upper Palaeolithic.