Eighty thousand years ago, Central Asia was a crossroads of human evolution. At that time, Neanderthals were the dominant species in the region, but bows and arrows and other lightweight tools are almost exclusively associated with Homo sapiens, or modern humans.
Hugues Plisson, one of the researchers and an archaeologist at the University of Bordeaux, explained:
“There were multiple waves of Homo sapiens expansion across Europe and Asia, but few left traces in our genetic heritage. The oldest are dead branches, which suggests that adaptation to new environments was not easy.”
“It is possible that the bow and arrow gave an adaptive advantage by broadening the range of possible game and therefore exploitable environments. It also provided greater safety for hunters due to the shooting distance. The energetic cost was also lower than in close-range hunting strategies.”
While Neanderthals were known for their physical strength and heavy spears, this discovery suggests either that they were more technologically advanced than previously thought, or that early modern humans reached Central Asia and introduced long-range hunting much earlier than current history suggests.
“Based on current data, the only Neanderthal weapons known to exist are a few wooden spears, throwing sticks and large lithic spearheads,” added Plisson. “As for why Neanderthals did not develop bow-and-arrow technology, the answer is probably cognitive.”
“For example, in the evolution of Homo sapiens, we see an increase in blood flow to the brain over time, and therefore an increase in brain capacity, which was probably stimulated by the social interactions inherent in demography. Environmental resources – available materials – and climate also certainly played a role in the invention of the bow and arrow.”
“The history of technology shows that inventions always arise in contexts where natural conditions are favourable. Human intelligence lies in knowing how to break free from these optimal natural conditions.”
