The wooden artifacts from Schöningen's Spear Horizon and their place in human evolution
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Wooden tools were crucial for hunter-gatherers, but rarely survive archaeologically. The Schöningen site reveals 187 artifacts, including 20+ hunting weapons and new domestic tools, reshaping our understanding of Paleolithic woodworking.
Area Of Science
- Archaeology
- Paleolithic studies
- Woodworking technology
Background
- Wooden tools were vital for hunter-gatherer subsistence and daily life but are scarce in the archaeological record.
- The preservation bias towards lithics and bone limits understanding of prehistoric lifeways.
- The Schöningen site is exceptional for its preservation of Paleolithic wooden artifacts.
Purpose Of The Study
- To present the complete wooden assemblage from Schöningen 13 II-4 (Spear Horizon).
- To analyze woodworking techniques and artifact types, including newly identified ones.
- To reassess the significance of woodworking in human evolution and the interpretation of the Schöningen site.
Main Methods
- Systematic analysis of the wooden assemblage from Schöningen 13 II-4.
- Identification and classification of 187 wooden artifacts.
- Examination of woodworking techniques, including the splitting technique.
Main Results
- The assemblage comprises 187 wooden artifacts, including at least 20 hunting weapons.
- Two new artifact types, totaling 35 tools made from split wood, were identified, likely for domestic use.
- The findings demonstrate a wide range of woodworking skills and the importance of wood in the Paleolithic.
Conclusions
- Schöningen 13 II-4 contains the largest known Pleistocene wooden artifact assemblage globally.
- Woodworking played a significant role in human evolution and technological development.
- The results necessitate a revised interpretation of the Schöningen lakeshore site and its inhabitants.
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