Bow and arrow discovery dates human technological development 30 000 years earlier

By Jade Archer

The discovery of a bow and stone-tipped arrows in the Sibudu Cave in KwaZulu-Natal has challenged prior understanding of the thought processes, communication and social skills of our ancestors.

For many years scientists believed that the complex technology associated with the production of bows and arrows started in Europe, but the discovery of stone-tipped arrows in the Sibudu Cave near Ballito shows that humans living 64 000 years ago followed similar thought patterns to us as they were able to manufacture bows and arrows.

The quartz-tipped arrows show evidence of blood and bone, which indicates that they were used for hunting. The arrow tips, which are damaged, indicate that they were used as projectiles and not as hand-held spears, which indicates that our ancestors who used these tools were technically advanced far earlier than was originally thought.

Another discovery that the team – led by archaeologist Dr Marlize Lombard of the University of Johannesburg – made, was that the tips have a residue of glue-like substance, which may indicate that the people who produced the arrows were able to use a variety of ingredients and a complex production process to produce an adhesive to fasten the arrow tips to a handle or shaft.

The invention of the bow and arrow was a pivotal moment in human development. Following comprehensive analysis Lombard has determined that these are the earliest examples of stone arrowheads ever discovered.

Her team’s findings which were published in an article entitled: “ Indications of bow and stone-tipped arrow use 64 000 years ago in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa” in the journal Antiquity, explain, with reference to the discovery, how human development at the time was far more advanced than archaeologists had believed.

Manufacturing bows and arrows would have required a high level of cognitive reasoning and thought, and prior to the Sibudu Cave discovery, researchers thought that bow and arrow production only began about 20 000 to 30 000 years ago.

Lombard, who was quoted in an article on iol.co.za said: “We are convinced they were at least similar to us cognitively and behaved like us too.”

Lombard’s research is also significant because the organic material used to produce a bow and arrow – such as wood, bone, cord and feathers – rarely survives over time, so researchers must use the remaining stone artefacts to deduce what the tools were used for.

The presence of blood and animal tissue on the stone-tipped arrows is valuable as it provides clear evidence that the weapons were used for hunting. Carbon dating has confirmed that hominid ancestors were capable of producing these tools 2 000 years earlier than previous research suggested.

Although researchers may never know which animals the arrow was used to kill, they can determine that the people who made the tools were more technically advanced than initially believed and that their thought processes were very similar to our own, yet again confirming that modern human evolution began on the continent of Africa.