An iconic spear-throwing device likely wasn't used by prehistoric hunters until around 10,000 years ago
New research challenges assumptions about the hunting practices of early Americans
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📍 How it ended
Archaeologists found a lack of evidence for a spear-throwing device long linked to America's earliest hunters. An iconic device likely was not used by prehistoric hunters until around 10,000 years ago.
The story quieted without a definitive conclusion in the coverage.
Epilogue added 15d ago, after coverage quieted.
The brief
Recent archaeological findings suggest that the atlatl, a spear-throwing device, was not used by prehistoric hunters in North America until around 10,000 years ago. This contradicts previous beliefs about the hunting tools of early hunter-gatherers.
Coverage from Popular Archeology, Phys.org, and IFLScience emphasizes the debate over whether Clovis foragers were big-game hunters or scavengers. The emergence of the atlatl as a deadly hunting technology is a focal point.
Researchers are now investigating the types of prey targeted by early Americans and the timeline of tool development. The absence of the atlatl in earlier archaeological records is a key area of interest.
Synthesized by Archynetys from the headlines below under a strict no-invention contract. ✓ fact-checked: all claims supported by sources Updated 19d ago.
Quick answers
What is the atlatl?
The atlatl is a spear-throwing device used by prehistoric hunters to increase the velocity and distance of their spears.
Who were the Clovis foragers?
Clovis foragers were early hunter-gatherers in Late Pleistocene North America, known for their distinctive stone tools.
What animals did early Americans likely hunt?
According to coverage from Popular Archeology, early hunter-gatherers in the Americas likely targeted large prey such as mammoths.
Coverage (10)
- Early hunter-gatherers in the Americas likely targeted large prey such as mammoths instead of smaller animals Popular Archeology · 22d ago
- Were Clovis foragers in Late Pleistocene North America big-game hunters, or just big-game scavengers? Phys.org · 22d ago
- Were Clovis foragers in Late Pleistocene North America big-game hunters, or just big-game scavengers? EurekAlert! · 22d ago
- “If This Were A Murder Trial, We’d Have To Acquit”: Did The Earliest American Cultures Hunt Mammoths To Extinction? IFLScience · 22d ago
- The Emergence of a Deadly Hunting Technology in Prehistoric North America Nautilus | Science · 22d ago
- Origin of atlatl hunting in North America Popular Archeology · 22d ago
- “We Have No Idea What The Hell They Were Using”: Lethal Mammoth-Hunting Weapon Probably Wasn’t Part Of The Clovis Arsenal IFLScience · 22d ago
- Archaeologists Can’t Find Evidence for a Weapon Long Linked to America’s Earliest Hunters Gizmodo · 22d ago
- The Emergence of a Deadly Hunting Technology in Prehistoric North America Yahoo · 22d ago
- An iconic spear-throwing device likely wasn't used by prehistoric hunters until around 10,000 years ago Phys.org · 22d ago
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