Ice Age humans killed mammoths differently from what was originally thought

[Coloroscopio]

Around 13,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, early humans were faced with the colossal challenge of hunting massive creatures like mammoths. Now, new research is turning traditional views on their hunting methods upside down. Instead of using Clovis points—the carefully crafted stone tips found at ancient sites—as projectiles, these prehistoric hunters might have employed them in a very different way: as planted pikes. This discovery offers a fresh take on how our ancestors may have taken down enormous beasts, relying on strategy rather than sheer strength.

 

Archaeologists from UC Berkeley have been rethinking the way early humans hunted after conducting in-depth reviews of historical records and testing replica Clovis point spears. Their findings suggest that instead of throwing or jabbing with these spears, hunters may have braced them against the ground, angling them upwards to impale charging animals. In this scenario, the weight and momentum of the beast would drive the spear deeper into its body, delivering a fatal blow with far more force than any human arm could muster.

 

Image 2024 Byram et al (CC BY 4.0)

 

Clovis points, named after the site of their discovery in Clovis, New Mexico, were often made from materials like chert, flint, or jasper. More than just simple tools, these points were technological innovations of their time. When used as planted pikes, Clovis points may have functioned similarly to modern hollow-point bullets, designed to inflict maximum damage on large prey such as mammoths, mastodons, and saber-toothed cats. This strategy would have given early humans a powerful advantage in hunting dangerous megafauna.

 

This new interpretation of Clovis points sheds light on the remarkable adaptability of Ice Age hunters. By planting their spears rather than throwing them, these early humans could more effectively take down the enormous creatures they relied on for food and materials.

 

• https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mammoths-ice-age-people-pikes.html 
• https://www.popsci.com/science/mammoth-pikes/ 
• https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/instead-of-thrown-spears-were-planted-in-the-ground-to-kill-a-charging 
• https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/08/21/to-kill-mammoths-in-the-ice-age-people-used-planted-pikes-not-throwing-spears-researchers-say/ 

 

Opening image: generated on AI