Archaeologists discovered a bone spearhead approximately 80,000 years old, identified as the oldest bone spearhead in Europe crafted by Neanderthals, in a cave in the North Caucasus. The findings, supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, were recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
The spearhead was discovered in 2003 within a cultural layer of Mezmay Cave in the Apsheronsky District of Krasnodar Krai, a renowned archaeological site. This layer also contained animal bones and traces of a hearth, indicating special conditions that preserved the artifact for tens of thousands of years. Only recently was the spearhead studied using spectroscopy, computed tomography (CT), and high-resolution microscopy.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington participated in the study, alongside colleagues from Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University LETI, and the Institute of History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.
Microscopic analysis revealed traces of impacts, cracks, and chips on the spearhead, indicating it was used in hunting or combat. Notably, the spearhead is almost unworn; it was likely lost or broken soon after manufacture, with no traces of repeated use.
"This spearhead is direct evidence of their ability for strategic thinking," the researchers noted. Creating and using such a spear requires prior planning and skills in working with different materials: bone, stone, and adhesive substances. The bone tip was likely attached to a wooden shaft with bitumen, a resin-like natural glue.
The spearhead measures nine centimeters in length and was carved from bison bone. Scientists established that it was created by Neanderthals, proving that they independently developed complex technologies long before the arrival of modern humans in Eurasia. The age of the find, between 70,000 and 80,000 years, excludes the involvement of Homo sapiens, who arrived in Europe approximately 45,000 years ago.
Scientists suggest that most bone tools did not survive due to natural decomposition. The survival of this spearhead is attributed to the unique preservation conditions within Mezmay Cave.
Until now, it was believed that Neanderthals inhabiting Eurasia used only stone tools, and that complex bone tools appeared in Eurasia only with the arrival of modern humans from Africa, no earlier than 40,000 years ago.
Previous discoveries, such as a Neanderthal camp found several years ago in the Pyrenees dating from about 100,000 to 65,000 years ago, showed that Neanderthals successfully adapted to life in harsh conditions.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
