External ballistics of Pleistocene hand-thrown spears: experimental performance data and implications for human...

Area of Science:

• Paleoanthropology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Archaeology
• Human Evolution
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• The development of weaponry is a critical, yet poorly understood, threshold in human evolution.
• Distance weapons represent a significant advancement over short-ranged, hand-held tools, impacting ecology, cognition, and social behaviors.
• Previous research has lacked systematic experimentation on the ballistics of thrown spears.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the lack of systematic experimentation on the ballistics of thrown spears.
• To provide new estimates for key performance parameters of thrown spears.
• To evaluate the potential for distance hunting strategies in early human species, including Neanderthals.

Main Methods:

• Conducted systematic experimentation using trained javelin athletes to simulate spear throwing.
• Collected data on key performance parameters, including distance and impact energy.
• Compared the ballistics of hand-thrown spears with those potentially launched by spearthrowers.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated overlaps in throwing distances and impact energies between hand-thrown spears and spearthrowers.
• Highlighted skill as a significant factor in the successful use of thrown spears.
• Provided evidence suggesting distance hunting was a viable strategy for Neanderthals.

Conclusions:

• Distance hunting was likely part of the Neanderthal hunting repertoire.
• The behavioral flexibility associated with distance hunting in Neanderthals closely mirrors that of Homo sapiens.
• This study contributes to understanding the evolutionary significance of projectile technology in human origins.