Scientists Say Humans Have Been Using Spears and Projectile Weapons for 300,000 Years — Here’s How Early Humans Used Them to Survive

The modern human species has only existed for an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 years. But before we were even born, our ancient human ancestors were already using stone tools and weapons. However, what we did not realize was that they already invented projectile weapons, like stone-headed or wooden spears.

These early weaponry showcases just how clever our ancestors already were at crafting tools and developing technological innovations for their survival. We might have just adapted this strategy of using projectiles long ago, instead of pioneering them. But how exactly does this discovery change our perspective on how early humans survived? Let’s find out.

The Ancient Spears from Schöningen

In Schöningen, Germany, archaeologists discovered very old wooden spears, dating back to at least 300,000 years ago. This makes them extremely ancient, to the point that they were probably used before the first modern human species ever walked on this planet.

These tools were found alongside a number of animal bones and a few other stone tools. The discovery suggests that these belong to a group of hominins who existed far earlier than Homo sapiens. A pack of hunters who probably worked and planned their strategy together.

Scientists even cloned these ancient tools to see and observe in real time just how effective they can be for taking down animal prey. They tossed them like a javelin, which confirms the structure is capable of being thrown from a distance to land a fatal blow at a large animal, like a mammoth.

Read more: Wikipedia

Crafting Hairstyles with Wood—Not Just Sharp Sticks

The Schöningen Spears | The Oldest Weapons in Human History?

These wooden spears are not a simple tool that was crafted without skill or planning. Researchers used special imaging tools to find out just how refined the weapon was. It turns out that the ancient humans who used them carved and smoothed the wood.

This practice made the projectile more aerodynamic, as it was sanded and split precisely to shape the spear to be balanced and sharpened. It was a weapon meant to be thrown, to help the early humans hunt large animals, like mammoths and horses, more safely.

Again, we already know that modern humans use a projectile spear in this way too; however, this time, we are talking about ancient humans who used them more than 300,000 years ago, and likely several more years before that.

It tells us that they were not just scavengers who collected leftover meat and plants. They were skilled hunters capable of planning, strategizing, developing weaponry, and working collectively to gather their resources. With this perspective, they seem more advanced as a species than we made them out to be.

Weapons Even Older Than Spears—Stone and Bone Tips

A wooden spear may be ancient, but in other parts of the world, more human species were also developing their own projectile weapon. At a discovery in Ethiopia, a stone-headed javelin or spear was found. This makes the weapon more lethal as it can strike harder after being thrown at a distance, also making it safer for early humans when hunting.

Estimated to be around 280,000 years old, they probably also existed before the time of the modern human species. These stone-headed spears allowed earlier hominins to find and catch more food while staying out of danger from bigger animals.

The ability to hunt in open and exposed environments like the savannas in Africa means hominins could expand into a wider range of habitats. It is a technological development that gave them an advantage, leading to more resources, and therefore allows the group to increase its population and eventually spread throughout the globe.

Read more: Science News

Weapons Beyond Homo Sapiens—Neanderthals Were Also Crafty

The Weapons of the Stone Age

We used to think that the modern human species was the first one to invent sharp hunting tools and even projectile weapons. However, the discoveries of these weapons that predate our existence mean Neanderthals, Homo Erectus, or Homo heidelbergensis, were probably some of the first ones to ever use this incredible weapon.

These archaeological findings have fundamentally rewritten what we know about our history, that we did not invent the sophisticated projectile weapons of the Stone Age, but rather, it was our ancient relatives. They are probably smarter and more clever than we give them credit for.

Author's Final Thoughts

Early hominins were already using projectile weapons, like a wooden or stone-headed spear, 300,000 years ago, which is before the first Homo sapiens ever walked on the planet.

These tools were also not scrappy, but instead were carefully crafted from wood or tipped with stone or bone, showing our ancestors’ ability to plan, cooperate, and innovate. Understanding these projectile tools just made us respect and appreciate their ingenuity and sheer intelligence.

Read next: How Did Homo Sapiens Outcompete Every Other Human Species, and Are We Special? — Here’s Why We’re the Last Humans Standing

References & Further Reading

Leder, D., et al. (2024). The wooden artifacts from Schöningen’s Spear Horizon and their implications for complex tool behavior in hominins ~300,000 years ago. PNAS. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2320484121

Milks, A. (2019). External ballistics of hand-thrown spears. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37904-w

Ben-Dor, M. (2023). The evolution of Paleolithic hunting weapons. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/6/3/46

Hrnčíř, V. (2023). The use of wooden clubs and throwing sticks among foragers: a cross-cultural analysis. PMC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10073058/