In early 2023, archaeologists in France made an intriguing discovery – the oldest known bow and arrow outside of Africa, dating back approximately 54,000 years. This remarkable find predates the oldest African bow and arrow, which is estimated to be around 64,000 years old. The arrowheads uncovered at the French site were classified as Neronian, pinpointing their origin to the transitional period between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic eras.

Within the Grotte Mandrin cave, more than 300 arrowheads were unearthed, hinting at a habitation site for early Homo sapiens (Figure 1). Prior to their arrival, the region had been populated by Neanderthals, who eventually vanished around 40,000 years ago. The arrowheads exhibited clear signs of chipping and wear, suggesting that these Homo sapiens employed specialized tools for launching their arrows. This has led to a hypothesis that the Homo sapiens might have played a role in the decline of the Neanderthals, due to their advanced weaponry and tools.

To test their theory that the arrowheads were used with some form of projectile mechanism, archaeologists conducted replication experiments (Figure 2). They created replicas of the arrowheads and assessed their effectiveness when used in various ways. It was found that these arrowheads were most efficient when paired with a bow. Their small and lightweight design made them unsuitable for merely throwing at animals, as they required the additional force of a bow for effective use.

Further analysis of the arrowheads’ chipping and damage patterns on the replicas closely matched those of the original arrowheads discovered. This provided strong evidence that these arrowheads were utilized for hunting larger animals and potentially even in conflicts involving humans, such as the Neanderthals. Additionally, artifacts from both Neanderthals and modern Homo sapiens were found in the same strata, raising the possibility that these two groups coexisted (Hunt 2023).

Notably, no evidence of actual bows was found at the site, which isn’t surprising given the challenges of wood and string preservation over such an extensive period. Archaeologists do hypothesize that the bow and arrow technology might have been introduced to Europe from Africa because of the earlier discoveries of arrowheads in Africa (Kuta 2023).

Before the 2023 discovery in France, the oldest evidence of bow and arrow usage outside of Africa was in Sri Lanka, dating back to around 48,000 years ago (Fox 2020). Interestingly, these arrowheads in Sri Lanka were discovered alongside bone tools made from monkey bone. The presence of Neanderthal and modern Homo sapiens artifacts in the same strata in Sri Lanka also fueled a similar debate about their interactions and coexistence. These discoveries continue to provide valuable insights into the prehistoric world and the development of early weaponry and tools.

Additional Links:

https://theconversation.com/what-a-bone-arrowhead-from-south-africa-reveals-about-ancient-human-cognition-137651

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11086110

Citations:

Fox, Alex. June 17, 2020. “Evidence of Early Bow-and-Arrow Hunting Discovered in Sri Lanka.” Smithsonian Magazine Smart News. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/proposed-earliest-traces-bow-and-arrow-hunting-eurasia-found-sri-lanka-180975112/.

Hunt, Katie. February 23, 2023. “Earliest evidence of bow and arrow use outside Africa unearthed in France.” CNN Space & Science. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/world/france-cave-earliest-bow-arrow-use-outside-africa-scn/index.html#:~:text=The%20arrowheads%20were%20found%20in,early%20modern%20humans%20and%20Neanderthals.&text=The%20earliest%20clear%20evidence%20of,pivotal%20moment%20in%20human%20history.

Jordans, Franks. February 10, 2022. “Southern France was already irresistible to humans 54,000 years ago.” The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/southern-france-was-already-irresistible-to-humans-54-000-years-ago-20220210-p59v8v.html.

Kuta, Sarah. February 23, 2023. “Archery May Have Arrived in Europe Thousands of Years Earlier Than Thought.” Smithsonian Magazine Smart News. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archery-may-have-arrived-in-europe-thousands-of-years-earlier-than-thought-180981690/.

Archaeologists used seriation techniques to analyze and chronologically order styles of gravestones in New England Puritan societies. Deetz and Dethlefsen, two archaeologists in the 1900s, organized the markers into three main groups of designs and styles: the Death’s Head or Winged Skull, the Cherub, and the Urn and Willow (Figure 1) (Deetz and Dethlefsen 1967). One important note is the use of sedimentary brown sandstone, as opposed to white marble, during the colonial period, providing well-preserved gravestones for archaeologists to observe and analyze.

Gravestones are unique in their information about the person who died, including dates, professions, family members, and names. Gravestones are, therefore, artifacts that can be analyzed, as in this study, by their styles chronologically, but also the cultural changes that are represented. Deetz and Dethlefsen, along with other historians, analyzed the cultural changes during the time to hypothesize the reason for the evolutions in the styles of gravestones. For example, one conclusion was that the shift from the death’s head (Figure 2) tombstones to the winged cherub was because of a decline in orthodox puritanism. In addition, some cherub-style gravestones include the phrase “In Memory Of..” emphasizing the memorial of the individual rather than a set of religious beliefs (Windsor).

The changes in gravestones show shifts in culture and progressions in religion over time. Cherubs were engraved into the gravestones as an effort to resurrect, but as Puritans no longer questioned their salvation, the purpose and style of gravestones shifted as well. Instead, the urn and willow symbolize the grief of the lost loved one.

Since Deetz and Dethlefsen’s study and use of seriation to chronologize gravestone styles in New England Puritan societies, other archaeologists have examined gravestones in other parts of the United States, such as New York where there was more religious and ethnic diversity. Seriation techniques were again used to organize gravestone styles that were similar to each other to create a timeline of symbols used. One of the oldest cemeteries in New York City, Shearith Israel, has headstones from the late 1600s to the early 1800s, most of which lack symbols that were observed in New England (Pickman 2006). However, some similarities exist to the headstone shapes used in Christian society, such as the “three-lobed shape” that symbolizes a bed frame and the final rest associated with death.

Gravestones are essential and valuable artifacts to accompany the analysis of religious and cultural evolution changes. These artifacts contain written evidence and data to characterize symbols and shapes using seriation techniques, which can then be used to hypothesize and draw other conclusions about the developments of society at the time.

Other Links:

https://ivypanda.com/essays/deaths-head-cherub-urn-and-willow-the-views-of-religion-and-death-in-1720-1820/

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/06/archives/new-jersey-opinion-stories-told-in-stone-gravestones-as-folk-art.html

Citations:

“Colonial New York Gravestones.” Archaeology Magazine Online Features. Accessed September 17, 2023.. https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/nycolonial/graves.html.

“Deaths’ Head, Cherubs, and Urns: Gravestone Iconography in New England.” New England Folklore. Accessed September 17, 2023. http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2018/09/deaths-head-cherubs-and-urns-gravestone.htm.

“Gravestones – Puritanism.” Revolutionary Windsor: The Windsor Historical Society. Accessed September 17, 2023. https://sites.google.com/a/windsorct.org/revolutionary_windsor/home/gravestones-puritanism.

“Plymouth Colony Gravestone Symbolism.” Historical Archaeology at the University of Illinois. Accessed September 17, 2023. http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/deathshead.html.