In the rain forest of Sri Lanka have discovered researchers the earliest evidence for the use of the bow and arrow outside of Africa. In the cave of Fa-Hien Lena, in the southwest of the island, the archaeologists arrowheads from animal are found the bones of about 45'000 to 48'000 years old.
"The fractures at the tips indicate damage from a strong impact - something that is usually observed in the case of hunting with the bow and arrow on animals," says first author Michelle Langley from the Griffith University in Brisbane. "This document is older than similar findings in Southeast Asia, with an age of about 32'000 years, and is currently the oldest evidence for the use of the bow and arrow outside of the African continent."
The as yet earliest evidence for this technique come from South Africa and about 64'000 years old, says Co-author Patrick Roberts, from the Max-Planck-Institute for human history in Jena. Interesting new finds, especially that they come from the tropical rain forest and more open landscapes such as the Savannah. "This is a piece of the puzzle that shows us why our species has been so successful: Because they live in all environments and the technology to the circumstances can adjust."
Presumably, the people took advantage of in the rain forest at the time, the bow and arrow for hunting tree-dwelling primates and rodents, writes the Team in the journal "Science Advances". May be, as Roberts, below the arrow-and-arc technique distinguish Homo sapiens from his closest Relatives such as the Neanderthals. This hunting technique requires a greater ability to abstract Thinking, since the two devices were combined.
In the cave, the researchers found also evidence for the manufacture of beads from the mineral Ochre, as well as tools for fishing and for the production of fibers, which were probably used to make clothing or networks. "Previously, it was assumed that clothing was developed as a protection against the cold," says Roberts. "There is also in Sri Lanka, evidence suggests that they may have been used also for protection against mosquitoes."
* technical article number, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3831
(SDA)
Date Of Update: 12 June 2020, 15:47
