A collection of ancient wooden spears may be more recent than previously believed and could have been used by Neanderthals rather than their evolutionary predecessors.
These well-preserved spears, crafted from spruce and pine, rank among the oldest hunting tools ever found. They were unearthed more than 20 years ago in a coal mine near the German town of Schöningen, alongside the bones of nearly 50 horses.
Originally, scientists dated the artifacts to around 300,000 years ago and attributed them to Homo heidelbergensis — a species considered the last shared ancestor of both modern humans and Neanderthals.
But the new analysis using a different dating technique suggests the spears are younger, placing them about 200,000 years old. The new age means the hunting weapons may have been used by Neanderthals instead, according to research published Friday in the journal Science Advances.
Recent work has suggested that some Neanderthals mixed and mated with early humans. The balanced, well-crafted spears could help scientists understand what Neanderthals were capable of and how they worked together to hunt.
The spears are “pretty sophisticated for something that old,” said study co-author Jarod Hutson with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
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But it’s not yet clear why the new dating disagrees with previous estimates. Archaeologist Thomas Terberger with the University of Göttingen said more research is needed to be sure of the spears’ age and who used them to hunt.
“For the moment, I find the arguments interesting, but not absolutely convincing,” said Terberger, who had no role in the new study.