Oldest Wooden Spear
Making Wooden Spears
Hunting large animals was a risky business. Long spears were thrust into an animal, enabling our ancestors to hunt from a somewhat safer distance than was possible with earlier weapons. Three wooden spears like this one were found at Schöningen, Germany, along with stone tools and the butchered remains of more than 10 horses. These spears are currently the oldest known wooden artifacts in the world.

Wooden thrusting spear, Schöningen, Germany, about 400,000 years old.