Schoningen spears dated to be 200,000 years old

 

Using a different dating technique, the age of Schoningen spears was found to be 200,000 years. Previous estimates showed the age of the spears to be 300,000 years. The hunting weapons were discovered in 1990s in a coal mine in Schonigen, Germany and include nine spears, one lance and six double-pointed sticks. These weapons were found with the remains of fifty butchered horses. These are believed to be remains of repeated ambush hunting episodes along the shoreline of a former lake.

Archaeologist Thomas Terberger suggested that more research is needed to be sure of the spears’ age and who used the spears.

The research was published in Science Advances.