Advanced weapons built 80,000 years ago, unearthed in Russia, has no human connection

Time of India

13-05-2025

An 80,000-year-old bone spear tip, unearthed in Russia, challenges previous assumptions about Neanderthal capabilities. This discovery suggests they independently developed sophisticated hunting weapons, predating similar innovations by Homo sapiens. The artifact's advanced craftsmanship and well-preserved condition provide compelling evidence of Neanderthal resourcefulness and technological prowess, reshaping our understanding of their cognitive abilities.
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The world is witnessing the use of advanced and hi-tech weaponry in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the military conflict between Israel on one side and a host of terror groups on the other, as well as the recent confrontation between India and Pakistan that came to an end just a couple of days ago.Various advanced weapons and modern warfare techniques, including drones, UAVs , and cyberattacks, have been used in these military conflicts.But between all this, a unique weapon has been uncovered beneath the ground in Russia , one that was not even made by a human. While the weapon is a masterpiece, it has no human connection, and that has baffled the scientists.Research has revealed that this ancient weapon is approximately 80,000 years old and was unearthed from a cave in Russia. While the weapon, a spear tip made of bone, seems to be a simple object in the first instance, its age, dated to be nearly 80,000 years old has shocked the researchers.Scientists had till now believed that these sophisticated early tools, especially those made of materials other than stone, were the hallmark of our species, Homo sapiens But this remarkable spear tip, discovered in Russia's Mezmaiskaya Cave back in 2003, throws a fascinating curveball into that narrative.Because of its age, it's clear that modern humans couldn't have been the ones who painstakingly carved and shaped it.The spotlight now turns to the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), our close evolutionary cousins who roamed Europe for hundreds of thousands of years before eventually fading away.Dr. Liubov Golovanova, an archaeologist at the Laboratory of Prehistory in Russia and the lead researcher behind the new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, explains the significance of this discovery. "This specimen suggests that at least some groups of late Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals in Europe had begun to develop bone-tipped hunting weapons," she and her team state in their paper.What makes this even more intriguing is the implication that the Neanderthals likely came up with this innovation on their own, "independently and without influence from early Upper Paleolithic modern humans that started to arrive on the continent much later."For years, these skills were largely attributed to Homo sapiens. However, this spear tip joins a growing body of evidence suggesting that Neanderthals were far more resourceful and technologically capable than we previously gave them credit for.Recent discoveries of other bone tools crafted by Neanderthals, such as a 50,000-year-old collection from Siberia and 40,000-year-old tools possibly used for softening leather found in Europe, further support this evolving picture.Even older bone tools, dating back as far as 400,000 years and potentially predating Neanderthals, have been found in Italy, hinting at a long history of bone tool use among early human relatives.However, researchers like Dr. Golovanova point out that the craftsmanship seen in this 80,000-year-old spear tip appears more advanced than some of these earlier finds.The fact that we don't find as many Neanderthal bone tools compared to their stone tools might simply be a matter of preservation.Bone is more fragile than stone and requires specific environmental conditions to survive the relentless march of time.Mezmaiskaya Cave, where the spear tip was found nestled amongst animal remains, stone tools, and traces of ancient campfires, seems to have provided that perfect environment.The researchers noted the "exceptional" preservation of the bone, with no signs of weathering or damage that would typically occur over such a long period.By carefully examining the spear tip, Dr. Golovanova and her team even found cracks that suggest it was used to strike something soon after it was made and attached to a wooden shaft with tar. The bone itself likely came from a bison, a common prey animal of the time.This discovery suggests that Neanderthals were not simply brutish cave dwellers but possessed a capacity for innovation and complex toolmaking that rivals our early ancestors.No, bone tools are relatively rare compared to stone tools. However, this may be because bone decomposes more easily unless preserved in ideal conditions. Recent discoveries show Neanderthals used bone more often and more skillfully than once believed.Likely a mix of climate change, competition with Homo sapiens, small populations, and interbreeding. Some of their genes live on in us todayNeanderthals were shorter and stockier than modern humans, with large brow ridges, wide nostrils, and a robust, muscular build. Their faces were broad with a prominent nose, and they likely had pale skin and possibly red or light brown hair.