Schöningen Spears: A Youthful Surprise in Archaeology
Younger-than-anticipated spear exhibiting a more aesthetically pleasing design?
In the world of archaeology, the Schöningen spears have long held a significant place as the oldest known complete hunting weapons in human history. However, a recent study challenges their previously assumed age of 300,000 years. A research team, led by Olaf Joris from Monrepos Research Center and Museum for Human Behavioral Evolution in Neuwied, Germany, estimates these spears to be approximately 200,000 years old, making them considerably younger than previously thought.
The discovery in the 1990s, made in an open-pit mine near Helmstedt, included at least 20 prehistoric artifacts, including at least ten spears up to 2.5 meters long. The inhabitants of that time were already skilled at crafting weapons and tools from wood. The research team's findings also highlighted a prevalence of horse bones, with remains from over 50 animals found in the find layer[1].
The age estimate was earlier based on the age of the layers above and below the find layer, but the team emphasizes that this estimation didn't come from the layer where the spears were discovered. With the revised age, the Schöningen spears better align with the findings about the life and hunting strategies of the Neanderthals during that time[2].
The research team employed a biochemical analysis method known as amino acid dating to directly date the find layer. They obtained samples from excavated sediment blocks containing small freshwater snails of the genus Bithynia, analyzed the closure capsules of these snails, and also took samples from horse teeth and the shells of small crayfish. All samples confirmed an age of approximately 200,000 years[2].
While Joris considers the dating "very secure," other experts question the revised age. Thomas Terberger from the University of Göttingen, Dating expert Tobias Lauer from the University of Tübingen, and geologist Jutta Winsemann from the University of Hannover have raised concerns about the dating method and the study's reliance on an old geological deposition model[3].
Regardless of the controversy, the Schöningen spears remain an essential piece of our prehistoric past, shedding light on the evolution of hunting strategies and social cooperation among our ancestors. While their age may be a contentious topic, their significance as the oldest complete hunting weapons remains undisputed[3][4].
Keywords: Neanderthal, Archaeology
Additional Insights:
- The debate surrounding the Schöningen spears' age has implications for understanding the development of hunting strategies and social behavior in prehistoric hominins.
- The revised dating places the Schöningen spears in the Middle Paleolithic period and associates them with Neanderthals, rather than early humans.
- Some experts question the distinctiveness between late Homo heidelbergensis and early Neanderthals, implying a gradual transition, while others support the new 200,000-year date as consistent with the emergence of more complex behaviors among Neanderthals.
- The revised age of the Schöningen spears, estimated by Olaf Joris' team, suggests a closer alignment with education policies regarding the Neanderthals' understanding of health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and chronic-diseases such as chronic-kidney-disease, during the Middle Paleolithic period.
- As the earliest known complete hunting weapons, the Schöningen spears serve as an educational tool in the community policy, fostering a deeper understanding of how medical-conditions and science affected Neanderthals' community dynamics and social behavior.
- In response to the debate surrounding the Schöningen spears' age, a more comprehensive education policy could be developed, incorporating various perspectives from experts in archaeology, science, and geology, fostering a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of prehistoric hominins' evolution.
