When Did Europeans Begin Hunting With Bows and Arrows?

TÜBINGEN, GERMANY—A SciNews report indicates that modern humans may have used bows and arrows during the early Upper Paleolithic, around 40,000 to 35,000 years ago. Previously, it was believed that Europeans hunted primarily with thrusting spears, only advancing to spear-throwers roughly 20,000 years ago and bows and arrows about 12,000 years ago, based on artifacts from Paleolithic sites.

Keiko Kitagawa and colleagues at the University of Tübingen conducted experiments by attaching replica stone, antler, and bone points to shafts and launching them as arrows, spears, and darts. They then compared the resulting wear patterns with those on prehistoric points. The findings suggest that early humans may have used multiple types of weapons simultaneously, adapting their hunting strategies to different environments and prey.

The researchers noted that the study highlights the complex nature of reconstructing prehistoric projectile technology, much of which relied on perishable materials.